Five run fifth fells Knights

By Randy Lefko Sports Editor

Posted 5/15/19

FLEMING ISLAND - Fleming Island High baseball got sterling pitching from senior Zack Mercer and a five run fifth inning fueled by a two-run hit from Adam Peck to bump Oakleaf 6-1 in their distict …

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Five run fifth fells Knights

Posted Wednesday, May 15, 2019 12:00 pm

By Randy Lefko Sports Editor

FLEMING ISLAND - Fleming Island High baseball got sterling pitching from senior Zack Mercer and a five run fifth inning fueled by a two-run hit from Adam Peck to bump Oakleaf 6-1 in their distict 2-8A semifinal Tues., May 7 at Fleming Island High School.

Fleming Island, 17-7 and the top seed, advanced to host Atlantic Coast (14-12) for the district title on Thurs., May 9. Oakleaf, 14-10 overall, ends their season with the loss and a 5-1 tournament quarterfinal win over Robert E. Lee High on Mon., May 8. Atlantic Coast beat Fletcher 7-0 in their semifinal game. Fletcher entered the tournament with a 20-3 overall record.

Against Fleming Island, Oakleaf got Kobe Bryant to third base on a single and a no-throw from Fleming Island shortstop Noah McCollum on a deep grounder, but could not collect the run with Logan Schmidt getting K-ed by Mercer for the third out.

Schmidt hit McCollum with his first pitch in the ensuing inning with McCollum stealing second, but three flyouts left him stranded.

Oakleaf again got baserunners with Dalton Holland singling and making a stop at third after a misplayed throw to second from Fleming Island first baseman Justin Hawkins. Mercer hunkered in and struck out Dannon Smith to leave Holland stranded.

Fleming Island got their first run on an RBI singled from Cole Pittman in the second inning.

In the top of the third, Oakleaf baserunner Simon Kohn walked and stole second, but stumbled on third on an infield hit by Bryant. Maddox would single before Schmidt hit into a double play on a grounder to Aiden Mastantuno that was close enough for Mastantuno to step on second and throw to first to nail Schmidt at first.

Schmidt kept the Fleming bats at bay with a strikeout and two flyballs with Mercer answering with his own strikeout and two flyballs in the top of the fifth.

In the fifth, Fleming lsland exploded for five runs off a bases loaded passed ball to 2-0, the two-run single from Peck to 4-0 and a dropped left field flyball from Hawkins to 5-0 before a run scoring singled from Dylan Bonham pushed the score to 6-0.