Chandler Dantzler’s two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted host Saint Johns Country Day School to an 8-7 victory over North Florida Christian on April 29, giving the Spartans a 2-0 sweep of the best-of-three Region 1-1A semifinal series.

SJCD, riding a seven-game winning streak and ranked No. 1 in Class 1A by www.MaxPreps.com, will host either St. Joseph Academy or University Christian in Games 1 and 2 of a best-of-three regional final series beginning May 5.

In the ninth, base hits by Brayden Harris and Gibby Gilliand sandwiched around a fly out put the tying and winning runs on base. Jonas Wells grounded out to first, moving the runners to second and third. On a full count, Dantzer lined a curve ball from NFC reliever Jimmy Meeks into left field. The Eagles’ Jack McFarland charged the ball, but let it get under his glove. Harris and Gilliand scored easily, touching off a raucous celebration along the first-base line as the Spartans mobbed Dantzler.

It was the first game-ending hit of Dantzler’s high school career.

“I was actually pretty confident,” said the right-handed hitting junior. “I told myself, ‘my birthday is Thursday, and I am not playing on my birthday.’ I was sitting fastball and I react to curveball, and that is what I did.”

Dantzler went two for three with a run scored and two sacrifice bunts.

“He is one of those guys who does whatever the team needs,” said SJCD head coach Tom Lucas. “He pitches, plays all over the field and is a great teammate.”

The Spartans overcame an uncharacteristic five errors. Sophomore starter Ethan Bissell gave up only four hits and one earned run over six innings, but the defensive miscues led to three unearned runs.

Still, SJCD nursed a 6-4 lead entering the seventh inning. Gibby Gilliand got the scoring started for the hosts with a solo home run in the second, and Nick Bowden hit a towering fly that carried over the right field fence for a three-run homer to put the Spartans ahead 4-2 in the fourth.

Bowden homered to left field in Game 1 of the series, an 8-0 SJCD victory on April 28.

The Spartans played small ball to score their other runs. Jonas Wells led off the home half of the fourth with a single and stole second on the next pitch. He advanced to third on a bunt by Dantzler and scored on a sacrifice fly by Camden Brown. In the fifth, catcher Hunter Rodgers singled and then stole both second and third base to get into scoring position. Bowden then drove him in with a double to right center.

SJCD stole six bases on the evening.

Lucas brought sophomore Madden Williams to the mound in the seventh, hoping to close things out, but the Bissell-Williams combo did not work like it did in SJCD’s 4-1 win over St. Jospeh Academy in the district championship game on April 17. The Eagles rapped out four consecutive hits against Williams, scoring two runs to tie the game.

For the eighth and ninth, Rodgers moved from behind home plate to the pitcher’s mound for only the second time all season. The Jacksonville University commit cruised through a 1-2-3 eighth, but got himself in trouble in the ninth by hitting McFarland with a pitch and then throwing consecutive wild pitches. That allowed McFarland to move to third base.

With one out, Eagles sophomore Jace Riggan lifted a sacrifice fly to left center, scoring McFarland to put NFC just three outs away from forcing a Game 3.

“We pitched Rodgers in some scrimmages to get him ready,” explained Lucas. “He wants to be in those moments. He pumped strikes and kept us in the game.”

Lucas huddled with his charges before the bottom of the ninth.

“What we told the team was, ‘Some people look at adversity in a negative way, but we want to embrace it,’” said Lucas. “When you are in the ninth inning and you are down a run, these are great opportunities to respond.”

Briggs Sparkman went four for four with two runs scored and two batted in for North Florida Christian, which finishes its season with a 12-18 record. McFarland scored twice for the Eagles, who started three freshmen and three sophomores.