By Mike Ridaught
Twitter – @ridaught
*This appeared in Friday’s Mainstreet Daily News sports newsletter. The newsletter is emailed every Monday and Friday. Click here to sign up for free.
What a week for high school softball and baseball.
The area just won two state titles to end the spring 2021 season.
First it was Trenton softball, which won the Class 1A state title on Wednesday with a 5-4 win against Jay at Legends Way Ball Fields in Clermont.
It was the second state title in the past three years for the Tigers, who went 27-0 to win the Class 1A state title in 2019 and was 10-0 and nationally ranked in 2020 when COVID-19 shut things down.
Trenton went 20-1 this season, giving the Tigers a collective 57-1 record the past three years.
“This was probably the best job of coaching that we have done for any state contender team we’ve had,” said Trenton coach Todd Bryant.
The Tigers rode the arm of Florida Atlantic University signee Darian Ingram, who struck out 17 batters in the state semifinals and 13 batters in the state championship game.
Stetson signee Keeli Zingaro hit a 3-run home run in the state championship game to finish with a team-high 11 on the season.
Then, last night at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, the Newberry baseball team won its first state baseball title in school history.
The Panthers overcame 10 walks, including five in the first inning, to knock off No. 1 Chipley, 7-5, to win the Class 1A state title.
The Panthers rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the first inning and a 5-1 deficit in the fourth inning.
Senior first baseman Logan Carlisle finished 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs driven in, and two runs scored. Junior Mason Tomchak got the win in relief by throwing three scoreless innings.
It was the fifth playoff win for Spina, who passed former coach Terry Stroemer for the most playoff wins in school history.
“It feels amazing,” said Newberry coach Mike Spina. “These boys have made me proud all year long. They’ve played hard all year long. I told them before we came into this stadium tonight to leave it all out on the field, and they left it all out on the field.”
The 2021 Panthers (25-1), who etched their place in the record books, finished the season with a 19-game winning streak.
We broadcast both Newberry games on 106.9 FM “I am Country” and we will conclude our 2020-21 coverage on Wednesday, May 26, from 7-8 p.m. at Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville with our guests – the Class 1A state champion Trenton softball team. You can listen to the show on 106.9 FM.
