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No. 11 Baseball Claims 2021 Mid-Florida Conference Title
April 19, 2021

No. 11 Baseball Claims 2021 Mid-Florida Conference Title

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 11 Santa Fe Baseball made the most of their final home regular season games on Monday, clinching the program's 11th Mid-Florida Conference Championship during two wins over visiting Seminole State College, 12-10 and 8-3. 
 
Santa Fe has now won four of the last five titles, including the 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons. Additionally, dating back to the 2007 season, the Saints have claimed nine of the last 14 MFC championships. 
 
The Saints entered the day needing to pick up just one win to secure the title, and it only took one inning to do so, as the two teams continued their suspended game from April 2.  
 
Game 1  - SF 12 , SSC 10 (14 Inn.)
April 2 - Seminole State held a 1-0 lead after the first inning, but Santa Fe went in front 2-1 in the second inning with an RBI double from Armando Albert and RBI single from Santiago Garavito. 
 
The SF lead extended to 4-1 in the third, when Luis Rodriguez scored on a passed ball and Coy Phillips had an RBI single.
 
Three runs from the Raiders tied it up at 4-4 after three innings, and both teams went scoreless in the fourth. Phillips had another RBI single in the fifth to put SF in front 5-4, but once again, Seminole State tied it, 5-5, with a run in the sixth. 
 
The Saints put up five runs in the top of the eighth to seize command of a 10-5 lead, and the inning was highlighted by a bases clearing triple from Jonathan Logsdon. Seminole State, however, tacked on a run in the eighth and was able to force extra-innings in the ninth with four more runs, tying it at 10-10. 
 
The two sides proceeded to play four scoreless innings before the game was suspended due to darkness. 
 
April 19 - The game resumed in the top of the 14th inning in Gainesville on Monday afternoon, with the score tied 10-10. Santa Fe was officially the visitiors on the scoreboard and batted first.
 
The Saints set the tone early, as Albert found a gap in the infield for a double. Albert's well-hit grounder caromed off the infielder's glove into the outfield, and he took advantage to hustle his way to beat the throw at second base.
 
Austin Akey was up next and put down a bunt, reaching on a fielder's choice when the first baseman elected to throw to third and try to get the lead runner. The throw went under the glove at third base, however, and Albert easily came around to score to put SF ahead 11-10.
 
Logsdon was next up, and he connected with a line drive past the diving glove of the first baseman with a triple, handing the Saints a 12-10 lead. 
 
Santa Fe threatened for more with the bases loaded, but Seminole State notched two strikeouts to bring up their bats in the bottom of the 14th.
 
Robb Adams was on the mound for SF, and struck out the first batter. After a full-count walk, the lefty got the second out with a lineout. The Saints were one out away from the Mid-Florida Conference Championship, and Adams set down the final batter with a swinging strikeout, sending the Saints streaming onto the infield for the dogpile celebration and Gatorade bath. 
 
 
Key Statistics
 
Eduardo Yepes was the winning pitcher, after striking out the side in the 13th on April 2. Adams picked up the save, striking out two.
 
Logsdon had two triples and four RBI, while Albert went 4-of-6 with two doubles, an RBI, and three runs scored. Phillips drove in two runners, and Dylan Mock contributed two hits as well. 
 
Game 2 - SF 8, SSC 3
Santa Fe went ahead in the bottom of the second inning, when Jevin Relaford's fielder's choice plated Phillips.
 
Phillips' RBI groundout in the third inning made it 2-0, scoring Albert.
 
The Raiders cut their deficit in half with a solo home run off starter Mitchell Gross in the top of the fourth, but Gross held the lead all the way through his six innings of work, concluding his day with two K's. 
 
Zeb Marquis and Albert both scored in the bottom of the sixth to give the Saints a 4-1 lead, and it grew to 5-1 in the seventh when Gabriel Esquivel crushed a solo home run.
 
Seminole State brought the score to 5-3 with two runs in the eighth, but the Saints came up with three insurance runs in their ensuing at-bats to put the finishing touches on the day in the 8-3 victory. Rodriguez had an RBI single to bring in Albert, and Phillips then turned on a pitch and cleared the left field fence to score two. 
 
Key Statistics
Gross was the winning pitcher, allowing just one run, five hits, and one walk while striking out six in six innings pitched. Trent Becker, Carson Pillsbury, and Garfield Johns finished the game on the mound in the seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively.
 
Phillips' home run was the first of his season, and he finished 2-of-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Albert was 2-of-5 with an RBI and three runs scored from the leadoff spot. Zeb Marquis was the third Saint with two hits in the game, while Esquivel's long ball was his second of the season. 
 
Wiggs' Words
"Our depth was the deciding factor," said Head Coach Johnny Wiggs. "So many guys contributed, and that was a huge advantage for us in conference play."
 
"It was a unique situation this season with COVID, and we had a lot of different hoops to jump through. That just makes it even more special to finish as Mid-Florida Conference Champions."
 
Up Next
No. 11 Santa Fe (29-10, 18-3 MFC) now has one more game remaining on the regular season schedule. With Tuesday's makeup game at St. Johns River State College having no bearing on the final conference standings, the game will not be finished. SF will prepare for the regular season finale on Wednesday, April 21 at 3:00 p.m. at the College of Central Florida. 
 
The Saints punched their ticket to the State Tournament, which will take place May 5 - May 9 at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla.