Amaya Ross drove in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth, and Bailey Cooley made the one-run lead stand up as the Trinity Christian Academy Conquerors captured their fourth consecutive Class 4A, District 2 championship Thursday night with a 2-1 victory over the Stallions from the Providence School of Jacksonville.
With runners at first and third and one out in the bottom of the fifth, Ross laced one down the right-field line. Providence right-fielder Emma Gupton caught the ball on the run and made a strong throw to the plate, but Breezy Burnette tagged from third and beat the throw to give the Conquerors a 2-1 lead.
Burnette started the inning with a bunt single. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Alexis Ross and stole third. Reagan Griffis then walked to set up Amaya Ross.
Cooley (W: 14-6, 2.32 ERA) then retired six of the seven hitters she faced in the final two innings, including a perfect seventh, to secure the win for the Conquerors. Cooley threw a complete-game four hitter in which she walked only one Stallion and struck out four.
Providence scored almost immediately. Kayla Burmeister walked to start the game. Grace Wilson followed with an infield single, and Ella Roberson drove in Burmeister with a base hit to left to put Providence ahead 1-0 just three batters into the game. Cooley then retired the next three hitters and allowed only two more hits the rest of the night.
Trinity tied it up in the bottom of the third thanks to the speed of Alexis Ross, who led off with a line drive into right. Ross advanced to second on Griffis’s sacrifice bunt and to third on Amaya Ross’s fly ball that Burmeister caught on the center-field warning track. Ross then scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1.
Providence got the lead-off hitter on second in the fourth when Avery Adcock reached and advanced on a two-base throwing error. However, catcher Linzie LaFavor cut down Adcock trying to steal third, and Cooley retired the side with the next two batters.
Providence starter Joey Trawick (L: 14-4, 2.73) was very effective on the mound. The eighth-grader pitched six strong innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits. Trawick walked only one and struck out five. She also had terrific defensive support, especially in the outfield as Adcock, Burmeister, and Gupton all made several catches on the run.
Trinity (17-6) will play at home versus Florida State University High School in the Region 1 semifinal at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 9. Providence (15-10) will travel to North Bay Haven Academy in Panama City on the same night.
Trinity and Providence could meet again at Trinity on May 14.
