The First Academy baseball team secured a dramatic 5-4 victory over Santa Fe Catholic, scoring four runs in the final inning. They will face Montverde Academy in a best-of-three semifinal series starting Friday.
(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel/TNS)
The First Academy, last year’s Class 2A baseball state champ, had to score four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to keep its season alive with a 5-4 win against Santa Fe Catholic in a region quarterfinal game at home last week.
Cannon Koronka was 4 for 4 with a home run, double and 2 RBI for TFA , while Jaxson Wells went 2 for 3 with a run and and RBI.
TFA (18-10), seeded second in the region, now hosts third seed Montverde Academy (17-8) in a best-of-three semifinal series. Game 1 is Friday. The final and the if necessary game are scheduled for Saturday.
Here are Friday-Saturday baseball matchups:
7A Region 1
No. 8 Lake Mary (17-9) at No. 4 West Orange (18-10)
No. 3 Hagerty (18-7) at No. 2 Spruce Creek (25-3)
7A Region 3
No. 4 Harmony (16-10) at No. 1 Vero Beach (20-4)
No. 3 Jupiter (18-9) at No. 2 Park Vista (18-5)
6A Region 2
No. 5 Martin County (20-6) at No. 1 Bloomingdale (22-4)
No. 3 Melbourne (20-4) at No. 2 Lake Minneola (21-5)
5A Region 2
No. 4 Cypress Creek-Wesley Chapel (16-9) at No. 1 Winter Springs (21-5)
No. 3 Sebring (20-5) at No. 2 Wesley Chapel (16-8)
4A Region 2
No. 5 Mount Dora (15-8) at No. 1 Bishop Moore (25-2)
No. 3 Ocala Vanguard (18-7) at No. 2 Eustis (15-12)
2A Region 2
No. 4 Cocoa Beach (16-10) at No. 1 Lakeland Christian (19-3)
No. 3 Montverde (17-8) at No. 2 TFA (18-10)
1A Region 2
No. 4 Deltona Trinity (14-8) at No. 1 Orangewood (22-3)
No. 3 St. Francis Catholic (22-4) at No. 2 Mount Dora Christian (22-5)
Trinity Prep’s region champ boys team, playing close to home, scored a 5-0 sweep against Berkeley Prep in a Class 1A state quarterfinal on Wednesday morning at Red Bug Lake Park in Casselberry.
The Saints No. 1 player, Ben Demetriades, won his singles match 7-5, 6-2 and teamed with Nathan Lu for a 4-1, 4-0 doubles win. Spencer Song and Taine Miller both scored singles wins. And Miller and William Orosz won the No. 2 doubles line in a tiebreaker.
The First Academy won their recent game against Santa Fe Catholic with a score of 5-4.
Cannon Koronka had a notable performance, going 4 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBI, while Jaxson Wells contributed with 2 for 3 and an RBI.
The First Academy will play Montverde Academy in a best-of-three semifinal series, with Game 1 scheduled for Friday.
The First Academy's current baseball season record is 18 wins and 10 losses.
Mikel Arteta criticized the VAR decision to overturn a penalty for Eberechi Eze, calling it 'completely unacceptable'. Arsenal drew 1-1 with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg.
Morgan Rogers emerges as Manchester United's top attacking target at £86m
Brayan Bello visibly upset after being pulled early against the Blue Jays
NC State adds Darius Adams from Maryland via transfer portal
Gerrit Cole ramps up rehab with 60 pitches in latest outing
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
The Saints, the No. 4 seed, will play No. 1 True North Classical of Miami in a Thursday semifinal scheduled for 8 a.m. The winner advances to a noon final.
Innovation’s girls team lost to Niceville 4-1 in Wednesday’s first day of the 3A state tournament at Sanlando Park. The Bulls’ boys team is the top seed and played a later match against Matanzas.
As always, Saturday’s 4A Region 1 meet at Sanford Seminole is loaded with many of the area’s best.
Area boys event leaders include Ocoee’s elite 110-meter hurdler Jaiden Manning, whose best of 13.83 seconds leads all of 4A; along with his teammate Devin Mathews, who has run 47.27 in the 400 and 1:52.27 in the 800.
Two high jumpers who dueled back and forth in the District 4 meet, Wesley Morisseau of Lake Minneola and Tucker Crawley of West Orange, will compete again. Both cleared 6-7½ last week, with Morisseau winning on fewer misses.
Others include Winter Park’s Jonathan Slack and Wekiva’s Avantae Scott in the 200 (21.15 and 21.32); Oviedo brothers Colin Sysun and Aiden Sysun in the 1,600 (4:13.27 and 4:15.42); and Lake Brantley pole vaulter Connor McCarthy (14-1¾).
On the girls side, Lake Minneola sophomore Vanessa Waite is top seed in the 100 (11.53) and 200 (23.36), and Oviedo’s Olivia Champion is the area discus leader (134-10). The relays have Wekiva and Ocoee in the 4×100 and area leader Seminole (3:48.22) chasing 4A state leader Creekside (3:46.28) in the 4×400.
Bishop Moore’s girls outscored runner-up Jones 131-121 to win the 3A Region 6 team title.
Kissimmee Gateway won the 3A-7 boys title.
Look for pitching prowess when The First Academy (19-3) plays at Montverde Academy (18-4) in Thursday’s Class 2A District 7 tournament final.
TFA’s Alaina Surber pitched a no-hitter in a 5-0 semifinal win against Cornerstone Charter (19-5) on Tuesday.
And Montverde’s winning pitcher, Missy Odom, had eight strikeouts for all of the outs in 2⅔ innings in a 15-0 shutout of Lake Highland Prep. Odom also went 3-for-3 with two doubles and 4 RBI.
The Eagles are ranked No. 2 in 2A. TFA is No. 3 and Cornerstone No. 6. All three are guaranteed to advance to regional play. .
A number of district finals were scheduled to be played Wednesday.
Area No. 1 Winter Park (18-1) will host Boone (16-4) in Friday’s 2A Region 2 boys championship game.
Bishop Moore (16-4) lost a 9-8 semifinal to Tampa Jesuit (14-6) in boys 1A-2.
Girls No. 1 Lake Highland Prep (17-2) was scheduled to host Bishop Moore (12-9) on Wednesday.
Undefeated Deltona went up and down the field in a 61-27 region quarterfinal game on Tuesday. The Wolves (18-0) are home against Nature Coast Tech (14-4) on Monday in a 2A semifinal.
Kissimmee Gateway (14-3) also advanced in 3A.
Class 4A teams, including Harmony (16-1), were scheduled to play quarterfinals this Wednesday.
St. Cloud rolled to the 3A Region 3 championships in the Olympic style and Traditional competitions on Saturday.
Oviedo claimed the 3A Region 2 Traditional title. Boone edged Lyman 36-34 for the Olympic style title.
Horizon won Traditional and East River claimed the Olympic title in 3A-4.
The First Academy won its 1A region Olympic style title with 41 points, ahead of Avon Park (39).
Trinity Prep swept both the Olympia and Traditional titles in 1A Region 5.
Next week’s state championships are Wednesday, May 6 (2A), Thursday, May 7 (3A) and Friday, May 8 (1A) at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
Montverde Academy is 15-0 as the only unbeaten Orlando area team going into the region semifinal round.
Here are Thursday’s pairings:
3A Region 1
No. 5 Seminole (10-5) at No. 1 Fletcher (16-0)
No. 3 Lake Brantley (16-3) at No. 2 Hagerty (13-2)
3A Region 2
No. 4 Dwyer (12-3) at No. 1 Vero Beach (12-0)
No. 3 Jupiter (10-4) at No. 2 Winter Park (15-1)
3A Region 3
No. 5 Osceola (10-2) at No. 1 Venice (12-4)
No. 3 Winter Haven (15-1) at No. 2 Sarasota Riverview (9-3)
2A Region 2
No. 5 Bishop Moore (6-5) at No. 1 Merritt Island (15-3)
No. 3 Satellite (13-6) at No. 2 New Smyrna Beach (14-5)
1A Region 2
No. 4 Orangewood Christian (8-3) at No. 1 Montverde Academy (15-0)
No. 3 The First Academy (12-4) at No. 2 Tampa Prep (10-3)
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.