Last year, American got taken out by a Tampa Bay area team (Durant) in the state semifinals.
This year, they did the taking out.
American defeated East Lake 5-2 for the Class 7A championship. It’s the program’s first baseball state title in school history.
Saturday’s championship game had a déjà vu similarity to the Eagles 13-inning semifinal win. It was scoreless until late in the game with both teams trying to figure out the other’s pitcher.
But the Patriots insured this one wasn’t going to extra innings with a strong fourth inning. American scored four, including a two-out, two-run double by first baseman Jake Norman, in the bottom of the fourth. That prompted a pitching change for East Lake, with Riley Choate replacing starter Ryan Wall. Cameron Churchill pitched the final two innings for the Eagles.
The Patriots tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth when third baseman Romy Gonzalez drove in Edison Carbrera with a two-outs RBI single.
East Lake had an opportunity to cut that lead in the top of the sixth and took advantage of it. The Eagles had runners at first and second, thanks to a walk by Christian James and Brad Deppermann, who was hit by a pitch, with one out.
Ian Lisle drove in one run with an RBI single, scoring James. Then Deppermann scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-2. Patriots starting pitcher Alex Blanco was replaced by Andy Figueroa after striking out Keegan Maronpot for the second out of the inning.
Figueroa got a foul out with his first pitch for the final out of the inning, leaving an East Lake runner stranded at third.
East Lake made it interesting in the top of the seventh, with runners on first and second and one out. Sawyer Wirth led off the inning with a walk and Cameron Churchill reached on a single up the middle.
But Figeueroa was able to strike out two Eagles batters and force a fly out for the third out as his team swarmed the mound to celebrate.