American Heritage, Mulberry advance to Class 4A state baseball championship game

Heritage walks-off Arnold in eight innings, while Mulberry upsets Jesuits

RJ Machado of American Heritage (right) rejoices after scoring the winning run in the Class 4A state semifinals in eight innings. / Joe Frisaro

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – The Florida High School Class 4A state baseball semifinals came down to a couple of fantastic finishes on Monday at Hammond Stadium.

Fittingly, both games ended with identical 3-2 scores. But there also was one huge surprise.

In the first Class 4A semifinal, top-seed Jesuit Tampa was upset by Mulberry, setting the stage for the nightcap.

American Heritage Plantation faced Arnold Panama City in the second semifinal, and the well-pitched game turned into an endurance test.

Heritage, the second-seed, was able to outlast Arnold with Blayden Caballero delivering a walk-off single that scored RJ Machado from second base, giving the Patriots a thrilling, 3-2, victory.

With Jesuit’s loss, Heritage will now be the home team on Tuesday against Mulberry in the championship game, scheduled for 7 p.m.

Winners of 14 straight games, Heritage has reached the state championship game three straight years.

The way the brackets in Class 4A were set up, Heritage and Jesuit appeared on a collision course to meet for a third straight time. They two powerhouses split the past two season, with Heritage capturing the title in 2023 and Jesuit taking home the trophy last year.

Arnold gave Heritage all it could handle, with senior right-hander Cooper Moss throwing 7 1/3 innings of relief, with eight strikeouts.

The Florida recruit replaced left-hander Eli Blair after just two batters in the first inning.

Heritage left-handed hitters Jordan Rich and Joey Castro each singled off Blair. Rich led off the bottom of the first with a single, and after stealing second, he scored on Castro’s single to left-center.

With RJ Machado at the plate, Blair was replaced by Moss, who inherited a tough situation. Dylan Dubovik laced an RBI double to give Heritage a two-run lead.

In the third inning, Arnold tied it off Talan Holiday, a North Carolina commit. Connor McCann came through with a two-run single.

The 2-2 score held all the way into extra innings.

Holiday, in his final appearance at Heritage, gutted his way for 5 1/3 innings, striking out eight. Caden Garro came in relief, and struck out four in 2 2/3 innings.

With Moss’ pitch limit approaching, Machado doubled to deep left center with one out in the eighth inning. Dubovik was intentionally walked, bringing up Caballero, a sophomore shortstop.

Caballero singled to right field, and Machado raced home with the winning run.

Heritage now gets Mulberry, which pulled off the biggest upset in the entire state playoffs.

The fourth seed, Mulberry denied Jesuit a chance to repeat, 3-2.

Like the Heritage-Arnold game, Mulberry’s finish also was filled with late-inning drama.

Trailing by a run entering the seventh inning, Jesuit loaded the bases with one out.

Mulberry starter Gavin Stedman, who was masterful for 6 1/3 innings, exited after issuing a one-out single to Kaden Waechter, putting runners on first and second.

Cody Anker replaced Stedman, and on his first pitch, hit a batter to load the bases.

But Anker recovered and recorded a huge strikeout. The game ended when Bryce Besece blistered a liner to center, which hung up long enough to be caught.

Stedman was charged with one earned run in 6 1/3 innings, with five strikeouts.

Jesuit ace Wilson Andersen struck out six in six innings, while giving up two earned runs.

Josh Lacy had a two-run double for Mulberry in the first inning.