One step short: North Marion ends Bishop Kenny baseball run in FHSAA Class 4A final
Saturday night in Fort Myers brought another postseason pitching gem, just as in each of Bishop Kenny's previous playoffs.
Only this time, the Crusaders finished on the wrong side.
Karson Lindsey pitched a one-hit shutout and top-seeded North Marion stopped Bishop Kenny's memorable run 4-0 in the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 4A baseball championship in Fort Myers.
The Crusaders (19-11), who had held opponents to only seven hits through their four victories in regionals and state semifinals, finally ran into a pitcher they couldn't solve in Lindsey. Signed with South Georgia State, the senior left-hander (11-0) allowed only a second-inning single by sophomore Derek Heideman.
Shark attack on the track: Ponte Vedra boys' field strength captures first FHSAA title
Slow start spoils St. Johns Country Day's baseball final in loss to Lakeland Christian
Softball regionals: Baldwin, University Christian advance to FHSAA playoff final four
Powered by Jack Newman's two-hitter, Bishop Kenny beats Jefferson in baseball semifinal
Stallions stopped: Calvary Christian denies Providence in 10-inning baseball semifinal
Meanwhile, Bishop Kenny's own aces, Jack Newman and Ben Monger, were unavailable for pitching duty because of the FHSAA's pitch count restrictions. Those rules require pitchers that exceed 75 pitches in a game -- which Monger did Tuesday and Newman did in Friday's semifinal against Tampa Jefferson -- to rest from the mound for four days.
Lindsey, however, threw only 74 pitches for North Marion in Tuesday's regional final against Bishop Moore. That count required only three days' rest instead of four and kept him available for Saturday.
The Crusaders turned to Jacksonville University signee Garrett Corbett, used sparingly on the mound during the regular season while recovering from an arm injury. Corbett battled through three-plus innings against a potent Colts (27-5) lineup, but North Marion broke through fortwo runs in the third off three singles, a walk and then an RBI hit from Jake Tompkins.
North Marion added another in the fourth with Rowan Quartararo's RBI single and tacked on an insurance score on a Cooper Jones RBI double in the sixth.
Multiple lightning delays through the afternoon pushed the start back three hours from its scheduled first pitch.
The Crusaders had reached the final with Friday's 4-1 win over Jefferson, in which Newman struck out four while hurling a two-hitter. Andrew McWilliams hit an RBI double and Trey Seeker knocked in two more in the Jefferson game.
Bishop Kenny was seeking its third FHSAA championship, joining past titles in 2002 and 2008. No school within Jacksonville city limits has lifted a state baseball trophy since Bolles in 2017.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: High school baseball 2023: North Marion beats Bishop Kenny in final
