Pace baseball wins sixth straight district title on walk-off home run
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Thursday was all about postseason baseball. Four area teams played with district championships on the line, while three more clinched their spots in Friday district title games. Below is a breakdown of all the local action, starting with a thriller in Pace.
District 1-6A championship
No. 1 Pace 4, No. 2 Tate 2
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Pace senior Braiden Cheshire had a feeling. Never mind the fact that Pace was down to its last out, trailing 2-1 with runners on first and second, a five-year district championship streak hanging in the balance. He told head coach Jason McBride in a timeout he knew he would deliver.
"I told him I was good for this," Cheshire said. "I was finna do it. I knew I was finna do it."
Cheshire smashed a first-pitch fastball and knew as soon as it left the bat. So did McBride, who lifted his hands in the air from the third base coaches box. So did senior Emory Allen, who was standing in the on-deck circle. So did the Tate infielders, some of whom walked off the field stunned while others crouched where they were in disbelief.
The Patriots didn't lead until the final pitch of the game, which Cheshire blasted over the left field fence for a three-run walkoff home run to clinch Pace's sixth straight district title.
"He said 'I'm built for this, I got this.'" McBride said. "I said 'well let's go get it.' And he got it."
Cheshire's home run capped another gritty win in a season full of them for Pace. The Patriots (23-4) are 10-1 in games decided by two runs or less, with four walk-off wins. They battled against a challenging schedule all spring, refusing to quit until the final out.
They carried the same mentality into the district championship, trusting they'd find a way. Tate (20-7) jumped out in front in the top of the first on a Nathan Connors RBI single, with junior Lance Brady keeping Pace at bay until Nathan Filbert's RBI single tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Kaden Posta answered with an RBI double to put the Aggies back in front in the top of the fifth while Brady continued to flummox the Patriots lineup, getting Pace to hit plenty of balls right at defenders.
But the Patriots found an opening in the bottom of the seventh and burst right through like they have all spring. Jackson Wheaton was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, then advanced to second on a Bryce Hatton sacrifice bunt. Cam Lee, who missed much of the season with an injury, followed by reaching on an infield single. All to set up Cheshire being greeted at home plate and doused with water by a mob of teammates.
"The seventh inning has kind of been our inning," McBride said. "We don't play well it seems like through the middle innings, but we always kind of wait until the sixth and seventh. It's kind of the way we've been all year long. I'd like for them to get a lead early so we can relax a little bit but that's kind of the way they play."
The jubilation on one side meant stunned silence on the other, as Tate was one out away from its first district title since 2017. The Aggies will still enter the state playoffs winners of 11 of their last 13 games and will likely be a top four seed in Region 1-6A. which means a regional quarterfinal home game if they don't match up with a district champion.
"I'm really excited about the growth that we've made and the way we played tonight," Tate head coach Brett McCullough said. "There's nothing that they can hang their heads about. At the end of the day, sometimes one pitch gets you beat in the game of baseball."
Pace will likely enter as the top seed in Region 1-6A, which means homefield advantage through the first three rounds of the state playoffs, starting with the regional quarterfinals on April 24. The Patriots may not have the high-end talent of previous teams, but many have been playing together since they were kids and believe in what they can accomplish together.
"The chemistry we have, just a great group of guys who get after it every day," Allen said. "No moment is dull. We're gritty, man."
District 1-5A championship
No. 1 Niceville 8, No. 2 Gulf Breeze 4
The Eagles (20-7) led 5-0 after two innings on their way to a second straight district title.
Boston Hanna's two-run home run and Presley Moseley's solo home run in the top of the fifth cut Niceville's lead to 5-4, but the Eagles responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
Hanna went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Parker Boyd went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Moseley also pitched one 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out two.
Gulf Breeze (16-11) will play in the Region 1-5A quarterfinals on April 24. The Dolphins were the projected No. 4 seed in the FHSAA rankings and will learn their opponent in the April 20 selection show.
District 1-3A championship
No. 1 South Walton 3, No. 2 West Florida 1
The Jaguars couldn't solve Auburn commit Coleman Borthwick on the mound, who allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out 13 to lead the Seahawks to their fourth straight district title.
Parker Granse put South Walton (23-4) in front in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run single, then John Hatch got West Florida's lone hit of the night with a solo home run in the top of the second. Jace Cunningham answered in the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run of his own.
West Florida (17-8) will play in the Region 1-3A quarterfinals on April 25. The Jaguars were the No. 3 seed in the most recent FHSAA rankings and if they stay a top four seed would host in the quarterfinals if they don't face a district champion.
District 1-2A semifinals (at Panama City Bozeman)
No. 2 Pensacola Catholic 7, No. 3 Marianna 3
Marianna (14-12) led 3-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth before Catholic tied the game in the bottom of the inning then pulled ahead again with four runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Ben Bates recorded two hits and two RBIs, while Jalen Moton added two hits and an RBI. Lane Grissett went 2-for-3. Nick Shashaty pitched two 1/3 scoreless innings in relief to earn the win.
Catholic grinded out runs in the fifth and sixth inning. Moton's RBI double cut the lead to 3-2, then he scored on a Reed Rhodes sacrifice to tie the game. Grissett scored on a wild pitch to put the Crusaders in front in the top of the sixth, then Bates plated two more on a single to center. Davy Bradley's RBI single two batters later pushed the lead to 7-3.
Pensacola Catholic (16-9) will play at No. 1 Bozeman in the District 1-2A championship on April 17 at 7 p.m.
Rural District 1 Semifinals (at Central)
No. 1 Northview 14, No. 4 Baker 2(Five innings)
Leading 3-2 after three innings, the Chiefs exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fourth and six in the bottom of the fifth to advance to the district championship.
Grayden Sheffield went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Taylor Curtis went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Grayson Burns recorded a hit and three RBIs and pitched a complete game, allowing two unearned runs on three hits while striking out four in five innings pitched.
Cole Davis hit a walkoff three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth that put the game into mercy rule territory.
Northview (17-8) will play No. 2 Jay in the Rural District 1 championship on April 17 at 7 p.m. at Central. The Chiefs beat the Royals 5-4 in eight innings on March 6 and then again 6-2 on March 27.
No. 2 Jay 7, No. 3 Central 5
The Jaguars brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh, but couldn't keep their season going in their home ball park.
Jay (14-6) advances to the Rural District 1 championship against No. 1 Northview on April 17 at 7 p.m at Central. Central (16-7) is eliminated and its season is over, as the Jaguars needed to win the district tournament to advance to the rural state playoffs.
The Jaguars led 2-0 before Jay took control with five runs in the bottom of the third inning. The Royals added two runs in the the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead.
Nick Baxley recorded a team-high two hits and three RBIs to lead Jay. Cam Pierce hit a two-run double in the bottom of the third to put the Royals up 5-2. Landon Golden added a hit and an RBI then pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief to close out the game.
Seth Enfinger led the Jaguars late rally, hitting a two-run home run in the top of the fifth to cut Jay's lead to 7-4 before drawing a bases-loaded walk in the top of the seventh. Brock Schmidt went 2-for-3 and struck out eight in five innings pitched.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola area high school baseball district championships recap