JACKSONVILLE - An early 1-0 lead held for seven innings as the Middleburg High Broncos baseball team took the solo run to the end to beat a game Eagles' View Academy team on their home diamond.
"I coached at this field and coached this team and this was a little nerve wracking for me," said Middleburg coach Jordan Cuchoyt, now at 8-8. "We've let close games like this get away from us, but this team has come together as a team and found ways to beat the adversity. This is a big win on a couple of fronts."
The Broncos have losses of 4-2 to Keystone Heights, 1-0 to Palatka, 4-3 to Fleming Island, 5-3 to Providence and 6-4 to Wolfson through March.
In the top of the third inning, after both teams exchanged innings of tough pitching between Middleburg's Ethan Karaim and Eagle's View K Beckham as both pitchers limited their opposing batting lineups to three batters after Middleburg left two baserunners in play with no score, Middleburg got two walks; to Hunter Smith and to Logan Alessi before Smith got picked off at first base.
Next batter for Middleburg, Cole Conte smashed a double to left field, but the Broncos could not get to home plate.
An error on a John De Antonis hard grounder put Alessi across home plate before Beckham whiffed the next two Middleburg batters; Michael Gunson and Jackson Ingram.
With Karaim holding on the mound for Cuchoyt with nine strikeouts on the night, the Broncos defense got good footspeed in their outfield from R Pollitt, Alessi and Conti to keep long balls by Eagle's View from doing any damage.
"We preach strong pitching and great defense and we will win games," said Cuchoyt. "Jonah came in and closed strong and the defense held."
Bronco relief pitcher Jonah Quesenberry closed the game for Cuchoyt facing batters in the sixth and seventh innings with a strikeout and fly ball to Alessi the final two outs with two Eagle's View runners on base.
Middleburg faces a tough March finish with Oakleaf on Monday at home then Tuesday at Clay with road games to Keystone Heights and Bradford.
"This is a great confidence boost and springboard for a very tough schedule in front of us," said Cuchoyt. "I'm more and more believing we are right on course to win a few more of the big games we got coming."
In other games for the Spring Break, in Panama City against a handful of Tennessee teams, Fleming Island finished with a 1-2 record with a 2-0 win over Silverdale Academy of Tennessee with losses to Knoxville Central Academy (11-4) and McMinn Central (3-0). Fleming Island returns to play with road games to Beachside and Bartram Trail and Friday home game with Deland.
Also in Panama City, Oakleaf also finished at 1-2 with a win over Knoxville Central (13-11) and losses to McMinn (4-2) and Farragut Academy (14-6). Oakleaf's schedule has the Knights, 8-9, at Middleburg on Monday, March 24, then a home game with St. Johns Country Day School before a road game at Ponte Vedra.
Ridgeview, 5-8, went 1-2 as well with a win over Karns High (7-5), then losses to Knoxville Central (11-0) and Christian Academy of Knoxville (14-8). The Panthers restart their season with Sandalwood then a road game at Eagle's View.

Keystone Heights, 11-4, restarts their season after a break from March 14, a 10-0 win over Orange Park, has home games against 3A-Paxon (11-2) and Middleburg this week with a road game to Palatka on Friday.