BASEBALL

FHSAA REGIONAL BASEBALL: Spruce Creek takes down Bartram Trail in opening round

St. Augustine Record

Spruce Creek and Bartram are two of the area's top teams.

ST. JOHNS – No team wanted to blink first.

Bartram Trail and Spruce Creek were locked in a staring match Friday night in the opening round of the FHSAA baseball state playoffs, with both teams held scoreless through seven innings.

Both defenses kept delivering, and neither pitcher gave an inch.

Finally, in the top of the eighth, Creek senior Chase Dunlap scored from third on Sebastian Iguaran's bunt, giving the Hawks (22-8) the 1-0 lead and the eventual postseason victory.

Fans at Speedway:Daytona International Speedway to be at full capacity for Coke Zero Sugar 400

FHSAA REGIONAL BASEBALL:New Smyrna Beach, Spruce Creek headed to semifinal round

Spruce Creek defeated Bartram Trail in Friday's playoff opener.

Creek now advances to the second round of the playoffs, while the Bears saw their season come to an end.

The close win and tough loss left both teams with the lone message that they must improve.

“We have to keep working,” said Creek head coach Matt Cleveland. “It’s great to go on the road and beat a good team. But tomorrow when we wake up, we have to get better. This is over.”

Spruce Creek knocked Bartram Trail out of playoffs with a 1-0 victory.

Spruce Creek now travels to Lake Mary (16-11) in a regional semifinal on Wednesday. The teams split the season series.

Bartram Trail will go home after a stellar 22-6 season. The loss hurt, head coach Matt Fitzpatrick said, but the there is no time to mope about it.

“You have to prepare. You have to get better going into next season,” he added. “We don’t want to get knocked out in the first round of the playoffs again. We want to be holding the trophy down at Fort Myers next year."