Spruce Creek falls to Stoneman DouglAs in 7A baseball title game

FORT MYERS — In a game with plenty of zeroes on the scoreboard, a single and a few miscues broke the hearts of the Spruce Creek baseball team on Saturday.

Stoneman Douglas came up with four runs in the sixth inning of the Class 7A state championship game, lifting the Eagles to a 5-1 victory over the Hawks and giving them the state title trophy at Hammond Stadium in Southwest Florida.

Spruce Creek was trying for its second state title in program history, and first since 2012.

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Limited to only one hit for five innings, Stoneman Douglas parlayed an error, wild pitch and two singles into the deciding runs in the sixth, breaking open a 1-1 deadlock.

It was Stoneman Douglas’ second state title in six years.

“These guys are resilient. I couldn’t be happier for them because they are a great group of guys,” said Stoneman Douglas coach Todd Fitzgerald. “We had some freshmen that came through with big hits. The players trust the coaches and what we teach them. And then they go out and do it ... that’s why they’re champions.”

Jarrett Maresco was the starting pitcher for Spruce Creek but left in the fourth when the Eagles came up with their first run. The Hawks tied it in the top of the sixth, but then in the bottom of the frame the Eagles batted around to win it.

“There’s not much to say right now. We had opportunities to get the two-out hit, but we didn’t get it done,” said Spruce Creek coach Matt Cleveland. “Jarrett is a bulldog, and he pitched well. But we made a few mistakes and Stoneman Douglas took advantage of it.“

Stoneman Douglas starter Chris Arroyo, who pitched 4 ⅛ innings, struck out six, walked two and allowed three hits.

“It was a heck of a run for us,” said designated hitter Brandon Neely, who pitched a shutout in Friday's semifinal to send Creek to the title game. “We put a lot of guts and glory into it.”

Cleveland called this year's team a "special group."

“All the players bought in this year,” he added.

With one out in the pivotal sixth, Santiago Ordonez reached on an error, going all the way to second. After two walks and a putout of Ordonez at home, Arroyo and Grant McDonald both singled home runs. Arroyo also scored on a wild pitch and then Rolando Lujo had an RBI to make it 5-1.

Preston Wetherell led the Hawks (23-9) with two hits. Neely had Spruce Creek’s only RBI.

After 3 ½ scoreless innings, the Eagles broke out in the fourth.

Ordonez walked with one out. With Rhett Foster in as a courtesy runner, Jake Clement singled to left, moving Foster y third. Cameron Harris would lift a sac fly to center to score Foster.

Spruce Creek got a runner to third in the fifth, but Arroyo got Evan Mastromauro to ground out to end the inning.

The Hawks also stranded runners in scoring position in the second and fourth.

Creek finally tied the game in the sixth. With only four outs left, Wetherell doubled to left and stole third. Neely would then single to center to make it a 1-1 game.