Douglas tops West Orange 3-2 in state baseball semifinal – Orlando Sentinel
FORT MYERS — The West Orange baseball team came up one timely hit short in a Class 9A state semifinal game on Friday at jetBlue Park in a battle of top 10 teams in the nation according to USA Today.
The Warriors fell 3-2 to Parkland Stoneman Douglas after squandering legitimate chances to tie the game in the fifth and sixth innings at the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox.
West Orange (27-3), ranked No.6 by USA Today, saw a 13-game winning streak come to an end with the season-ending loss in its first appearance in a state semifinal game.
“The guys gave it their all and played great baseball,” Warriors coach Jesse Marlo said. “It just didn’t fall our way. I’m proud of the guys. They left it all out on the field.”
West Orange center fielder DeAndre Shelton led off the fifth inning with a double to deep left center field with his team trailing 2-1. Shelton was then picked off second base by Douglas pitcher Brandon Kaminer for the inning’s first out.
That proved to be costly when right fielder Doug Nikhazy doubled two batters later. Nikhazy moved to third on a wild pitch but was stranded there after Douglas third baseman Ivan Nunez made a leaping stop of a ground ball and threw out Kole Enright at first to end the inning.
Douglas padded its lead to 3-1 in the top of the sixth only to see it shrink right back down when Warriors shortstop Chris Seise ripped an RBI double off the wall in left field to make the score 3-2. Seise moved to third on a ground out but would advance no further after two more groundouts ended the West Orange threat.
Eagles relief pitcher Brady Norris needed just five pitches to retire the Warriors in order in the seventh.
First baseman John McKenna was 2-for-2 with two RBI and a walk for Douglas, which is ranked No.10 by USA Today and No.1 in the nation by Perfect Game. Shelton was the lone Warrior to reach base twice as he drew a walk in addition to his double in the fifth.
Tyler Baum took the loss on the mound for West Orange despite allowing just four hits and striking out four Eagles in five innings pitched.
“We knew coming in four years ago that this team was probably going to be the one that got us over the hump,” Marlo said. “It was a special group.”
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