Hagerty Wins 19-16 Over Forest In 8A Semifinal

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It was a game with more twists and turns than a Shakespearean play, an epic battle of attrition between two relentless opponents battling for a berth in the state championship. Friday’s Class 8A state semifinal at Fort Myers’ jetBlue Park between Hagerty and Forest will never be forgotten, a classic that grabbed its spot in the state history books.

In the end, Hagerty rallied for the deciding runs in the top of the twelfth inning to claim a 19-16 win that moves the Huskies into Saturday night’s state championship. While Hagerty (23-7) awaits the winner of Saturday morning’s semifinal between Westland Hialeah and Steinbrenner, the state record books have fresh ink. The contest was the highest-scoring state semifinal in Florida history, eclipsing the previous record from the very first year of the state tournament when Summerlin defeated Miami Senior 21-10 in 1922.

The game also lasted over four hours of playing time and nearly nine hours in all, due to a four-hour weather delay that occurred in the top of the fifth inning. That lengthy delay was the byproduct that pushed the other 8A semifinal to Saturday morning, after it was originally scheduled to take place Friday evening as the fourth and final contest of the night.

In the twelfth inning, Hagerty’s Riley Greene singled through the right side and Joe Sheridan dropped a great bunt for a single. Britt Crawford dropped down a bunt and a throwing error allowed both runners to come around and score and put the Huskies in the lead. Austin Thompson then lined a single through the left side to plate Crawford for a three-run advantage.

Bailey Wendel put the finishing touches on a four-inning relief appearance with a perfect 1-2-3 bottom of the twelfth. The right-hander took the mound in the ninth and tossed four scoreless frames to earn the win. Wendel allowed one hit and struck out three.

“We faced a really good team in Forest and we tip our cap to them,” Hagerty manager Jered Goodwin said. “I have nothing but respect for how they played today. They played hard and were enthusiastic and it was really good. but I can’t say enough about the heart and character in this dugout to just not give up. They could have very easily given up and said it was a fun run. But I told them that nobody this season has lasted through our lineup the third time through, and it was true today.”

No player better exemplified that lethal offense more than junior leadoff hitter Brian Ellis, who was 4-for-6 and reached base six times. The center fielder was a monster at the plate, and also made numerous plays on defense, including an incredible sliding catch on a hard liner to shallow center in the bottom of the twelfth.

“Our team really came through in the end. The seniors led and everyone stepped up as a team,” Ellis said. “I was able to see the ball well tonight and I just passed it on to the next guy to do the job. It is all for the team and you don’t have to worry about anything. You know your team has your back.”

Hagerty jumped in front in the first with an aggressive attack. Ellis lined the first pitch deep to left field for the Huskies’ first base hit, starting pitcher Joe Sheridan reached on an error and Britt Crawford singled through the right side to drive in Ellis for a 1-0 lead.

Forest responded in the bottom of the second when Harley Hudson singled to center field to plate Phillip Felicien, and Grant Grodi also came in on an error on the play to put the Wildcats up 2-1. They extended that lead an inning later when Grodi delivered a stand-up RBI triple and Hudson added an RBI single that chased Sheridan in relief for Travis Hosterman.

Forest then had a big fourth inning to take a commanding 10-2 lead. The Wildcats batted around the order and plated five more runs to pull well ahead.

Despite falling into that monstrous hole, the Huskies did not falter one bit. In the top of the fifth inning they stormed back with an endless barrage of base hits. Center fielder Brian Ellis got it going with a lead-off double hit high off the Green Monster in left field, then scored on an RBI single up the middle from Greene. Sheridan then singled to left and Crawford followed with a two-RBI double.

Hagerty was just getting going in the inning. Scott Olson laid down a nice bunt along the third base line for a single and Thompson plated another run with a sac-fly RBI to right field. Steven Markowitz singled through the left side and Cameron Beams singled to shallow right field to load the bases.

Taking his second at bat of the inning, Ellis lined a shot into the left field corner for two more RBIs and his second double of the fifth. Greene kept it going with a double to left that plated Ellis to pull Hagerty within a run at 10-9. After Forest finally went to the bullpen for reliever Jacob Landry, Sheridan singled to third to keep the pressure on.

“We swung it good all year, and people know their roles,” Goodwin said. “Our four-hole and three-hole are willing to bunt, they do a good job with two strikes, and they pressure the defense. I just think some of these kids’ ability to grind out at bats and do things ugly has been our MO all year. I’ve never been more proud of a team for just staying within themselves and never losing hope.”

Unfortunately, weather issues arose just as Hagerty was pressuring to even the score. A lightning detection forced the players off the field, and a heavy rain storm soon arrived after as well.

Four hours later play resumed and the Huskies picked up right where they had left off. Crawford had an infield single to third that brought Greene home with the tying run, Olson walked to load the bases, Thompson earned an RBI the hard way by getting hit by a pitch and Markowitz reached on an error that drove in two more. Even with the interruption, the Huskies had seized the momentum with 11 hits and 12 runs in the fourth.

The tenacious Wildcats rallied for a pair of runs in the fifth to pull within a run, and then threatened again in the sixth when Riley Ferrer was hit by a pitch and Kirby McMullen lined a double past first base and into the right field corner. Ferrer tied it back up off a wild pitch.

Cameron Beams started the eighth with an infield single past the pitcher’s mound, Kowalski moved him over with a sacrifice bunt and Ellis was intentionally walked to bring Alex Shaouni to the plate. Shaouni got the ball on the ground and reached on an error that scored Beams to retake the lead, Sheridan added an RBI single and Shaouni scored on an error to put the Huskies up by three.

Once again Forest fought back to even the game up with an improbable three-run rally, and it took four more innings to decide a victor.

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