On a wild Wednesday night at Emerson Field in Brooksville, the Nature Coast baseball team won the Class 3A-District 7 championship, defeating Hernando High 5-3. The Sharks scored two runs in the top half of the eighth inning without recording a single hit, taking advantage of three walks, two hit batsmen, and a wild pitch.
The game, which lasted three and a half hours, was delayed when a police helicopter flew overhead and law enforcement officers secured the area after someone reported seeing a person carrying a rifle near the campus at around 8:47 p.m. After a brief evacuation, play resumed at 9:15 p.m. Nature Coast’s senior relief pitcher, Bryce Hewell, pitched a crucial inning, working out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom half of the eighth to secure the win. The Sharks finished with a record of 22-3.
“Just a great high school baseball game between two good teams,” Nature Coast coach Dan Garofano said. “Either team could have won it.” The game featured several errors and walks for both teams.
The Nature Coast team’s third district title in the last five seasons was led by sophomore Will Wilkie, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth inning, and junior Beckett Monroe, who was hit in the helmet by a pitch. The team’s victory marked a significant win for the program.
Originally reported by Hernando Sun
Sources: Hernando Sun
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