FLEMING ISLAND - Area baseball was buzzing in Clay County on Friday with games at Orange Park High, Fleming Island High and Clay High providing strong wins for teams getting ready to peak for the upcoming district tournaments and hopes of state playoffs.
At Orange Park, the Raiders, who were the surprise district champions over region finalist Clay High last years, opened the Friday night festivities with a 6-5 win over Stanton High, an annual Class 4A and 5A contender, now in Class 3A
Orange Park built up a 6-0 lead into the fifth inning with three singles in the first inning putting the Raiders up 2-0 quickly, then had to hold off the Stanton surge in the final two for the slim win. Orange Park got triples from J Bejarano and N Stephenson with Brian Allen getting a double as coach George Eldredge's squad seems destined to make another late season run. Starting pitcher John Nyberg finsihed with five strikeouts.
Orange Park's schedule stays competitive with Tocoi Creek (13-5), Paxon (13-3) and Englewood (8-8) visiting Orange Park (7-14) and a road trip to Middleburg (8-11) ending the season.
At Fleming Island (6-13), the Golden Eagles were tangoing with 7A-Deland in a tough hitters game with the Golden Eagles trading scoring opportunities with the Bulldogs with a 3-3 tie into the third, then a 5-3 lead in the fourth before both teams traded solo runs in the seventh.
Two walks, a single and two batters hit by pitches gave Fleming Island their shot at the win while Deland got bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, but Fleming Island got a grounder to first baseman R Kiley to squelch that scoring attempt.
Fleming Island stayed with Caden Swartz for the seven inning on the mound, and despite 11 hits and just three strikeouts, Swartz got great play from his defense behind him for the win.
Fleming Island continues with Ridgeview, Beachside, Keystone Heights and Flagler Palm Coast upcoming.
For 4A-Clay High (13-7), in a game with 4A-Suncoast of Riviera Beach (11-9) just a game after a tough 3-1 loss to 7A-Creekside, the bats came alive for seven hits en route to a 8-4 win.
Clay moved to a 3-2 lead into the fourth, then added five runs in the sixth and seventh innings for the win.
Merrick Rapoza rapped an RBI single in the first to score Tyler Gunsaulus to give coach Josh Persinger an early lead but Suncoast answered with a single and walk followed by an error to go up 2-1. That lead stuck until a J Rosette double in the third put two baserunners in play before Rapoza got tagged by a pitch and a wild pitch ensued scoring Peyton McCrae.
A host singles gave Clay the final score at 8-4.
Clay, ranked sixth in Class 4A, has a tough Bishop Snyder (14-5, No. 9 in Class 2A) on the road, then Bartram Trail then a super showdown with Trinity Christian Academy (15-3, ranked sixth in Florida, No. 1 in Class 2A) on Friday, April 4 at Clay High.
St. Johns Country Day School won a 4-0 game over Providence on Friday with Lowndes County (GA) visiting on Monday and Richmond Hill (GA) on Wednesday.
Ridgeview, on Thursday, March 27, beat Nease 7-3 with Oakleaf taking out Ponte Vedra 6-4 on Friday. Oakleaf has road trips to Newberry and Trinity Christian this week.
Middleburg, 8-11, has a three game losing streak on the line; Oakleaf, Clay, Keystone Heights, with a road trip to Bradford, then a home game with Bolles before traveling to St. Augustine on Friday.
Keystone Heights, 13-5, snapped a three game win streak with a 5-3 loss at Palatka. Keystone Heights will visit Fleming Island on Friday, April 4.