HS baseball: Park Vista shuts out Coconut Creek-Monarch in regional quarterfinal
LAKE WORTH — It took less than five minutes for Park Vista to give ace Fisher Jameson all the support he needed.
Jason Lashley led off the bottom of the first inning with a single and advanced to third on a wild pickoff throw. His twin brother, Matthew, followed with his first high school home run.
And that was more than enough for Jameson, who pitched a one-hitter and struck out 11 to lead Park Vista to a 5-0 victory over Coconut Creek-Monarch in a Class 7A regional quarterfinal Friday night.
The Cobras (19-5) will face nationally ranked Parkland-Stoneman Douglas (24-2) in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Jameson, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound right-hander who has committed to Florida, faced only two batters over the minimum and never allowed a runner past second base. With two out in the fourth, Daniel Brennan lined a double down the right-field line for Monarchs' only hit. Jameson gave up his only walk in the sixth and ended the game with a flourish, striking out six of the last nine batters.
"Definitely one of my top performances," Jameson said. "I was just trying to keep the pitch count low and not go for strikeouts ... and then I got a lot of strikeouts."
Jameson, who threw 88 pitches, appreciated the first-inning support. After Matthew Lashley's home run, the Cobras added another run in the inning and two more in the second to put the Knights (13-7) away early.
"Some games we take a while to get going," Jameson said. "Tonight we came out to play right off the bat, from the first pitch of the game."
Lashley, a sophomore, earned his place in the Cobras' lineup as a contact hitter who gets on base (team-leading .521 OBP) and rarely strikes out. Entering the game, 16 of his 19 hits were singles, so he was as surprised as anyone when the ball cleared the right-field fence.
"With a man on third, I was just trying to put the ball in the air," he said. "I don't hit many home runs. I knew the ball was going over his head, but I didn't think it was going out."
Park Vista had only one hit over the final four innings, but with Jameson dealing and his defense playing error-free baseball, the outcome was never in doubt. Center fielder Javier Soto made a diving catch in the first inning to save a run and shortstop Skyler Schulz made a pair of stellar defensive plays.
"I thought we did well in a lot of areas," coach Larry Greenstein said. "It was a solid performance all the way around."
The Cobras will need that, and then some, to beat the powerful Eagles. With a lineup loaded with Division I commits -- to Florida, Florida State and Ole Miss, among others -- Stoneman Douglas has outscored its three playoff opponents 30-1.
"It's a tall order," Greenstein said. "They're ranked in the country for a reason. We can't afford to make any mistakes -- they take advantage of any mishaps. We have to find a way to stay in the game and compete."
Other games
Parkland-Stoneman Douglas 9, Santaluces 0: Santiago Ordonez had two home runs and five RBI as the Eagles (24-2) routed the Chiefs (15-12) in a Class 7A quarterfinal in Parkland. Three Stoneman Douglas pitchers combined on a no-hitter, striking out 18.
Palm Beach Central 3, Vero Beach 0: David Doumis and Sammy Orozco combined on a five-hitter as the Broncos (16-10) upset the Indians (21-3) in a Class 7A quarterfinal in Vero Beach. Doumis also had two hits and an RBI.
Palm Beach Gardens 1, Treasure Coast 0: Dominic Stagliano pitched a one-hitter and struck out 10 to lead the Gators (21-5) past the Titans (11-9) in a Class 7A quarterfinal in Palm Beach Gardens. Billy Reid's second-inning sacrifice fly accounted for the only run.
Dwyer 4, Cooper City 0: Drake Flowers pitched a three-hitter and struck out 10 to lift the Panthers (16-9) over the Cowboys (12-8-1) in a Class 6A quarterfinal in Palm Beach Gardens. Raul Feliz hit a two-run single in the second inning.
Jupiter Christian 2, Naples-Community School 0: Liam Schultz pitched a four-hitter and the Eagles (10-11) continued their surprising playoff run by beating the Seahawks (13-12) in a Class 2A quarterfinal in Jupiter.
Trinity Christian 8, Naples-Seacrest Country Day 4: Ariel Antigua and Ryan Marrero had two hits each as the Warriors (15-7-2) defeated the Stingrays (17-9) in a Class 2A quarterfinal in Naples.
Regional semifinals
Tuesday
Class 3A
King's Academy at St. John Paul II Academy, 4 p.m.
Wednesday
Class 7A
Palm Beach Central at Palm Beach Gardens, 7 p.m.
Park Vista at Parkland-Stoneman Douglas, 7 p.m.
Class 6A
Dwyer at Fort Lauderdale-St. Thomas Aquinas, 7 p.m.
Class 2A
Trinity Christian at Jupiter Christian, 4 p.m.