FHSAA Playoffs: Jay Rallies to Takedown Port St. Joe
May 16, 2019
The FHSAA playoffs began last night in 1A with the defending state champs from Port St. Joe traveling to take on the District 3 champion, Jay Royals. Left-hander Nathan Archer took the ball for the Royals and things could not have started worse for the home team. The Sharks led off the game with three consecutive bunts, with the first one mishandled and the next two thrown away, the Sharks had already taken a 1-0 lead. 3B Caleb Butts (.390, 27 RBI) was hit by a pitch to load the bases for SS Jaden Grantland, (2019, uncommitted) who roped a line drive up the middle extending the PSJ lead to 2-0. Back to back walks would make it 4-0 PSJ, and Archers day was done without recording an out. RHP Blayne Miller would inherit a messy situation but a strikeout followed by a line out and pop-up wiggled Jay out of any more damage in an otherwise disastrous first.
Port St. Joe starter John Gee (2020) headed to the mound with a huge cushion, but the Royal lineup wasted no time in chipping away. Jay got one run back in the bottom half of the inning and the score would stay 4-1 until the bottom of the 3rd. 2B Dutch Burkhead (PSC recruit) led off the frame with a double off the wall to straight away left and CF Trace Seib followed with an RBI single to left to cut the deficit in half. After two quick outs the Royals would mount a rally. A single and walk knocked Gee out of the game for the Sharks, and LHP Carter Dorsch hit the first batter he faced to bring in another run. Another 2 out hit, a double by LF Carson Walters, plated two more runs, and the Royals stormed back to take a 5-4 lead.
The Sharks would answer right back with a run of their own as catcher Kelvin Griffin led of the top of the 4th with a double, and later scored on a passed ball to tie the game at 5. However, Jay kept finding holes with 2 outs. With a man on first, the Royals put together 3 straight hits, scoring 3 more runs and taking control with an 8-5 lead heading to the 6th.
St. Joe would continue to fight back though, as a RBI single by 2021 OF Caden Turrell (6.5 60) brought PSJ within two. The Sharks would go on to put the tying runs in scoring position, but Miller was able to get a comebacker by Grantland to end the threat.
The Royals would tack on another insurance run in the bottom of the 6th courtesy of Burkhead, who hit his 2nd double and scored his 3rd run of the day for the Royals. With PSJ looking for one more spark, Miller was on his game as he worked a perfect 7th to knock off the Sharks with a final score of 9-6. Jay will travel to Bozeman, who beat Northview (Bratt) 7-1, on Friday with a trip to Ft. Myers and the State Final Four on the line.