Baseball Report: Spring break tournaments hosted by Florida League, TFA

The Florida League High School Invitational baseball season is in full swing with eight local programs taking part in spring break tournaments during the next three weeks.

Mount Dora Christian Academy (9-2), Montverde Academy (7-3) and Eustis (5-4) are among 14 teams in “The Classic” tournament this week in Sanford and DeLand.

MDCA won 5-4 vs. Stuart South Fork (5-4) to advance to Thursday’s semifinal against IMG Academy Gray (6-4). Tampa Prep (6-2) was scheduled to play Christ School (5-0) from Arden, N.C., in the other semi.

The Bulldogs are batting .315 with seven players logging at least 9 hits. Sophomore Jordan Livingston struck out 6 while allowing 4 hits, 2 walks and no earned runs in 6.1 innings against South Fork.

Montverde, an FHSAA Class 3A regional finalist and last year’s tournament champion, lost 11-1 (six innings) to IMG on Wednesday. Eustis fell 5-3 vs. Tampa Prep on Tuesday.

“The Classic” championship game is Friday at 6:45 p.m. at Sanford Memorial Stadium.

Bishop Moore (6-3), Horizon (3-4), Lyman (3-6) and Seminole (1-8) join West Boca Raton (4-5), Delray Beach American Heritage (4-5) and Flagler Palm Coast (3-3) in “The Challenge” tournament beginning Monday in Sanford.

Bishop Moore had three players combine for a no-hitter on March 6 during an 8-0 win vs. The Villages (5-3). Senior Andrew Furey recorded 5 strikeouts in five innings. Sophomore Layton Hall and junior Jason Forgey each pitched one inning.

Horizon three-year starter Casey Simmerly has tallied 19 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched with 4 earned runs allowed. The Hawks are batting .309 with 9 extra-base hits.

Deltona (4-5) is one of eight teams in “The Showcase” tournament taking place March 25-29.

Senior centerfielder William Martinez is batting .375 (12-for-32) with 7 RBI, 4 doubles and 6 runs scored for the Wolves, who returned eight starters from a team that went 11-14.

Single-day admission to Florida League games is $10 for adults and $5 for students via cash or credit card at the stadium gate. Tournament passes are $35 for adults and $15 for students.

TFA tourney

Foundation Academy carries a 10-0 record into next week’s O-Town Classic at The First Academy.

The Lions’ staff owns a 0.98 earned run average on the mound and have outscored opponents by a 104-14 margin.

The champion of the seven-team event will be decided by best overall record following Friday games that include Apopka (5-4) vs. Dr. Phillips (1-9) at 11 a.m. and West Orange (6-1) vs. TFA (5-2) at 4 p.m.

Monday games: Apopka vs. Edgewater (0-7), 11 a.m.; Oviedo (6-3) vs. Dr. Phillips, 4; West Orange vs. Foundation, 7.

Tuesday: Apopka vs. Foundation, 11 a.m.; Edgewater vs. TFA, 4; Oviedo vs. West Orange, 7.

Wednesday: Edgewater vs. Foundation, 11 a.m.; Dr. Phillips vs. TFA, 4; Apopka vs. Oviedo, 7.

Thursday: Dr. Phillips vs. West Orange, 11 a.m.; Oviedo vs. Edgewater, 4; Foundation vs. TFA, 7.

Around the bases

West Orange scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning on March 5 for a 9-8 walkoff win in what was a matchup of unbeatens. Senior Lucas Dufresne went 2-for-2 and junior Brooklyn Hicks had a double for the Warriors. West Orange lost for the first time, 3-2, at Apopka its next time out.

Osceola senior Felix Rodriguez had the walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning for the Kowboys (4-5) last week during a 7-6 win vs. Harmony (3-5). Senior Nick Palmi went 2-for-2 with 2 doubles, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.

Since allowing 3 runs during a 3-1 loss vs. TFA last month, Trinity Prep junior pitcher Aiden Stillman has yielded 1 hit, 2 walks and no earned runs while striking out 23 in 10 innings in his past two starts vs. Dr. Phillips and Orangewood Christian (6-3). The Saints are 3-4.

Timber Creek (6-2) opened its season by outscoring three Georgia schools by a combined 21-2 score to win the Georgia Dugout Club Tournament last month. Connor Mulready, Landon McDowell, Sebastian Hurtado, Gabriel De Cardenas and Michael Thomas were named to the all-tournament team.

Oviedo senior Kyle Ball singled in the bottom of the eighth to score Braden Minnetto and Henry Alarcon during a 2-1 win Feb. 27 vs Lake Brantley (9-2). Robbie Mitchell finished with 8 strikeouts and no hits allowed in five innings for the Lions (6-3). The Patriots won the rematch 3-1 three days later.

Windermere High senior Ty Head nearly hit for the cycle on Feb. 29 while going 4-for-4 with 2 singles, a triple and a home run during an 8-0 win vs. Horizon (3-4). Head stole three bases and finished with 4 RBI.

Junior Julian Mercado went 4-for-4 with a home run, 3 doubles and 6 RBI for The Master’s Academy (4-4) in a 19-6 win last month at Orlando Christian Prep (3-5-1).

Gateway sophomore Kaleb Bermudez finished 4-for-5 with 2 doubles, 2 triples, 3 runs scored and 3 RBI for the Panthers (3-4) during a 19-6 win at Liberty (0-7).

This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email J.C. Carnahan at jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com.