ORANGE PARK – After a surprising 9-2 loss at home March 29 to University Christian, you can be assured St. Johns Country Day was fired up for the rematch.
The host Spartans won their second consecutive District 2-3A title with a 3-2 win today over the Christians to clinch home field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
Senior pitcher Bri Enter struck out 13 and helped herself at the plate going 3-for-3 with a two-run home run to spark the Spartans. Senior shortstop Maddie Wilkes was 1-for-2 in the win to help the Spartans to their second straight title.
To get to the championship, both teams first had to win semifinal games, as University Christian handled St. Francis 17-2 in four innings and St. Johns shut out St. Joseph 16-0 in three innings.
Enter struck out nine of the 12 batters she faced in the win over St. Joseph Tuesday, allowing only two walks and a single.
The Spartans attacked the Flashes early with four runs in the first and 12 more in the second to take a 16-0 lead after two innings.
Wilkes doubled to left center to lead off the game and scored on Enter’s 2 RBI double to right field, that was misplayed by the right fielder allowing Enter to run around the bases for a two base error.
Linsey Arnett singled to right and scored on Rachel Thompson RBI single to left center for a 3-0 lead.
Gracie Arnett struck out for the first out of the inning, while Brynn White reached on an error allowing Thompson to score for the fourth run.
To start the second, Grace McNulty walked and Wilkes followed with a two run home run to left center for a 6-0 lead.
Enter popped up to third for the first out, while Linsey Arnett walked, Thompson singled past third and Gracie Arnett walked to load the bases.
Arnett scored on a wild pitch for a 7-0 lead and White walked to load the bases again.
Ella Wilkes 2 RBI single to left scored Thompson and Gracie Arnett to make it 9-0. Anna Kemp and McNulty walked to load the bases again while scoring White for a 10-0 lead.
Maddie Wilkes walked to score Ella Wilkes and Enter followed with a 2 RBI double to center to score both Kemp and McNulty for a 16-0 lead.
Thompson reached on an error and Gracie Arnett singled to left to keep the inning, however both stepped off their bases to end the inning.
Enter, who struck out the side in every inning, gave up a one out walk before ending the game with back-to-back strikeouts to close out the game.
St. Johns Country Day (14-5) will host North Florida Christian (11-6) Thursday May 9 in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs, while University Christian (15-4) will travel to Niceville to take on Rocky Bayou Christian (6-12).
