Tyler Danish provided the fireworks, Friday, and in more ways than one.

The Florida Gator commit, and soon to be top Major League Baseball draft pick, dazzled on the mound and at the plate, leading Durant (25-5) to a 6-0 win over American (21-9) at the Class 8A semifinals at jetBlue Park in Ft. Myers.

Danish, who hadn't allowed an earned run all season, rang up nine Patriots, mixing in his plus-90s fastball and an un-hittable slider. He also provided the biggest hit of the game, a monstrous two-run bomb over the imitation Green Monster in left, giving the Cougars a 2-0 lead in the 3rd inning.

The win clinched Durant's first trip to the state title game in school history.

Jared Donini added an RBI single in the 4th inning, and a past ball in the fifth scores Luke Heyer, giving the Cougars the four-run lead.

Paxton Sims finished his 3-for-4 day with a two-run single in the 7th inning, putting the Cougars ahead 6-0.

Base running cost Durant a chance to get on the board in the early innings. 

The Cougars got lead-off hits from Garett Wright and Charles Fowler in both the 1st and 2nd innings, but couldn't capitalize. Wright was caught in a double play off a failed hit-and-run call in the first, then Fowler was tagged out trying to advance to third with less than one out in the following frame.

Danish, who finished the game 3 for 4, improved to 15-1 on the season, and now has 157 strikeouts in 93 innings. Of his 84 pitches, 62 were strikes.

The Cougars will face the Lake Brantley-Jupiter winner for the 8A state crown. The game will be played Saturday at 7:35 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Bright House Sports Network.