Weather throws curveball at baseball, softball playoffs, John Carroll advances

Treasure Coast Newspapers

Baseball and softball regional quarterfinals across the Treasure Coast Thursday were drastically altered due to thunderstorms that forced the postponement of three games while forced another to have to be resumed Friday to complete it.

Both baseball and softball games at Okeechobee were moved to 7 p.m. Friday, while the Jensen Beach baseball team will contest their game against Plantation American Heritage also at 7 p.m. Friday.

Two local teams were able to play their scheduled game Thursday and it took a drastic shift in game time for John Carroll Catholic to advance in their Region 3-3A quarterfinal against Bishop Verot with the Rams getting a four-hit complete game from senior Braden Calise to come away with a 3-0 victory.

Initially scheduled for a 7 p.m. start like the rest of the area, the two teams settled on moving the game up all the way to 10:30 a.m., with Bishop Verot traveling from Fort Myers in the hopes of deciding the game and avoid potential weather delays.

South Fork's Mitch Little (left) is congratulated by teammates Richie Hauck (middle) and Jacob Anderson (right) after he scored on a double by D.J. Johns in the third inning of the region 4-5A quarterfinal game in the state baseball playoffs against Sebastian River on Thursday, May 6, 2021, at Sebastian River High School. The game was halted in the bottom of the fifth inning due to weather and will resume at 5 p.m. on Friday.

The Rams (16-10) only scored in the second inning, where they took advantage of miscues by the Vikings. Marcos Gamboa and Gabe Morin led off with back-to-back singles and Grant Gilooly reached on a throwing error after laying down a bunt.

Cooper Grimes was hit by a pitch from Bishop Verot's Isaiah Velazquez to force in a run and JJ Taylor would hit into a double play but that allowed Morin to score.

Matt Correa's two-out RBI single would be more than plenty of support for Calise. The Louisville signee only ran into trouble in the fourth as Bishop Verot had back-to-back singles with one out, but Calise coaxed two fly ball outs to end the threat.

Allowing just four hits all game, Calise struck out six and didn't issue a free pass to lead his team to a regional semifinal matchup on the road against on May 11 against Sarasota Cardinal Mooney, who defeated Melbourne Central Catholic 9-4.

“Calise is a bulldog and exactly who we want on the mound," John Carroll Catholic head coach Dave Parra said. "He commanded the game all day.”

The Centennial softball team traveled to Orlando and ran into a hot-hitting Lake Nona team that bashed out 18 hits in an 11-1 victory in five innings in a Region 2-7A quarterfinal.

Kelsey Hahn struck out 10 for the Lions (18-6), who will await the winner of Freedom and Treasure Coast in a regional semifinal game on May 11.

Senior Jayden Sullivan had the only hit of the day and also drove in the lone run of the game for the Eagles (6-13).

While the Rams and Eagles were able to complete their game, South Fork and Sebastian River will have to wait another day to decide which team will advance in Region 4-5A.

With the Bulldogs leading 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, the horn for incoming weather blew and with Sebastian River as the home team, the game was not official.

The teams will return to the field with one out and the Sharks having a runner at second base and resume at a tentative time of 5 p.m.

The Bulldogs grabbed a first inning lead as Tyler Graham bounced a two-out RBI single through the left side and in the second, South Fork added three more runs with another big two-out hit as Andrew Anderson plated two runs with a double.

Two more runs came in for South Fork in the third on a wild pitch and an RBI double from DJ Johns that chased Sebastian River starter Peyton Prescott.

The Sharks picked up an RBI double from Ethan Camilo with two outs in the fourth to make it a 6-1 game.

South Fork starting pitcher Bryce Saylor finished the fourth and finished his outing with five strikeouts as he gave way to reliever Conner Wiggins, who faced three batters in the fifth before the weather rolled in to stop the game.

The continuation of the Bulldogs and Sharks' game will be one of eight games to take place Friday with regional semifinal berths on the line.

- Correspondent Gage Brown contributed to this report

Baseball regional quarterfinal schedule

May 7

Palm Beach Central at Vero Beach, 7 p.m.

Treasure Coast at Palm Beach Gardens, 7 p.m.

Martin County at St. Thomas Aquinas, 7 p.m.

South Fork 6, Sebastian River 1, game to be resumed at 5 p.m. in fifth inning

Eau Gallie at Okeechobee, 7 p.m.

Jensen Beach at Plantation American Heritage, 7 p.m.

Softball regional quarterfinal schedule

May 6

Freedom at Treasure Coast, 4 p.m.

Bayside at Okeechobee, 7 p.m.

South Fork at Eau Gallie, 7 p.m.