Forest Falls In Highest-Scoring Florida State Semifinal Game Ever

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It was a game with more twists and turns than a Shakespearean play, an epic battle of attrition between two relentless opponents battling for a berth in the state championship. Friday’s Class 8A state semifinal at Fort Myers’ jetBlue Park between Hagerty and Forest will never be forgotten, a classic that grabbed its spot in the state history books.

In the end, Hagerty rallied for the deciding runs in the top of the twelfth inning to claim a 19-16 win that moves the Huskies into Saturday night’s state championship.

While Hagerty (23-7) awaits the winner of Saturday morning’s semifinal between Westland Hialeah and Steinbrenner, the state record books have fresh ink. The contest was the highest-scoring state semifinal in Florida history, eclipsing the previous record from the very first year of the state tournament when Summerlin defeated Miami Senior 21-10 in 1922.

The game also lasted over four hours of playing time and nearly nine hours in all, due to a four-hour weather delay that occurred in the top of the fifth inning. That lengthy delay was the byproduct that pushed the other 8A semifinal to Saturday morning, after it was originally scheduled to take place Friday evening as the fourth and final contest of the night.

In the twelfth inning, Hagerty’s Riley Greene singled through the right side and Joe Sheridan dropped a great bunt for a single. Britt Crawford dropped down a bunt and a throwing error allowed both runners to come around and score and put the Huskies in the lead. Austin Thompson then lined a single through the left side to plate Crawford for a three-run advantage.

Bailey Wendel put the finishing touches on a four-inning relief appearance with a perfect 1-2-3 bottom of the twelfth. The right-hander took the mound in the ninth and tossed four scoreless frames to earn the win. Wendel allowed one hit and struck out three.

“We faced a really good team in Forest and we tip our cap to them,” Hagerty manager Jered Goodwin said. “I have nothing but respect for how they played today. They played hard and were enthusiastic and it was really good. but I can’t say enough about the heart and character in this dugout to just not give up.”

Hagerty jumped in front in the first with an aggressive attack. Brian Ellis lined the first pitch deep to left field for the Huskies’ first base hit, starting pitcher Joe Sheridan reached on an error and Britt Crawford singled through the right side to drive in Ellis for a 1-0 lead.

Then it was the Wildcat’s turn on offense, as they got going on a day in which every starter had a hit. With powerful lineups on both sides and pitching that was extended far beyond expectations, it was a hitter’s paradise.

Forest responded in the bottom of the second when Harley Hudson singled to center field to plate Phillip Felicien, and Grant Grodi also came in on an error on the play to put the Wildcats up 2-1. They extended that lead an inning later when Grodi delivered a stand-up RBI triple and Hudson added an RBI single that chased Sheridan in relief for Travis Hosterman.

The Wildcats then had a big fourth inning to take a commanding 10-2 lead. They batted around the order and plated five more runs to pull well ahead. Catcher David Stromwall reached on a fielder’s choice, then gave way to courtesy-runner Noah Utegg, who advanced thanks to a single from Andrew Eyster. Felicien got the scoring started with an RBI single, Hagan Samson had a sac-fly RBI, Riley Ferrer had an RBI walk and Kirby McMullen capped it off with a two-RBI double.

In the top of the fifth inning the Huskies stormed back with an endless barrage of base hits. They connected for seven hits and seven runs to pull within 10-9, and weather issues arose just as Hagerty was pressuring to even the score. A lightning detection forced the players off the field, and a heavy rain storm soon arrived after as well.

Four hours later play resumed and the Huskies picked up right where they had left off. Crawford had an infield single to third that brought Greene home with the tying run, Scott Olson walked to load the bases, Austin Thompson earned an RBI the hard way by getting hit by a pitch and Steven Markowitz reached on an error that drove in two more. Even with the interruption, the Huskies had seized the momentum with 11 hits and 12 runs in the fourth.

The tenacious Wildcats rallied for a pair in the fifth to pull within a run, as Ferrer drove in Eyster and Felicien with a two-RBI single. They threatened again in the sixth when Ferrer was hit by a pitch and Kirby McMullen lined a double past first base and into the right field corner. Ferrer tied it back up off a wild pitch.

After Hagerty jumped back in front with three runs in the eighth, Forest once again fought back to even the game up with an improbable three-run rally. Hudson singled for his third hit of the day, and Ferrer and McMullen walked to load the bases. Landry had a fielder’s-choice RBI, Ferrer came in on a wild pitch and Eyster delivered another dramatic moment with an RBI single.

It took four more innings to decide a victor.

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