High school baseball: McKeel set to play Leon for Giannini title on Wednesday night
LAKELAND — McKeel and Tallahassee Leon will play for the title of the Dan Giannini Baseball Classic after each team won their semifinal game on Tuesday at Santa Fe Catholic. The game starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
McKeel defeated Lakeland, 2-0, and Leon defeated defending champion Lake Wales, 7-2, in a rematch of the 1993 Class 3A state final. The Highlanders captured the state title with their win over Leon, making them the last Polk County public school to win a state baseball title.
Lake Wales will play Lakeland at 4 p.m. in the third-place game.
In McKeel’s victory, Austin Peddycoart pitched five shutout innings of relief with five strikeouts and three hits allowed to pick up the win. The Wildcats, who managed just four hits against Lakeland, scored two runs in the third inning.
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KJ Scobey, Bear Testerman, Wyatt Thomas and Joseph Mills each had one hit for McKeel.
AJ Sierra had two hits, and Eli Miller, Maddox Hatcher and Chris Conde each had one hit for Lakeland.
Leon scored six runs in the top of the fourth inning to pull away from Lake Wales. The Highlanders took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third on Will Pilon’s two-run single.
In earlier games, Fort Meade defeated North Port, 4-0. Jeremiah Cabrera pitched six shutout innings and allowed just two hits. He struck out four and walked four and also doubled with an RBI. Demarion Abrams went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Santa Fe Catholic defeated East Ridge, 4-1. Michael Welling allowed just one unearned run on five hits and struck out two. He also went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Marvin Montenegro and Ethan Crawford each singled and drove in a run.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Dan Giannini Baseball Classic: McKeel, Leon in title game Wednesday
