Miami Springs stuns South Walton to win Florida Class 3A state baseball championship

Magdiel Estevez throws a complete game to lead the Golden Hawks to major upset

Miami Springs celebrates Class 3A state baseball championship with upset of South Walton. / Joe Frisaro

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA  -- Not many saw this one coming.

Miami Springs on Tuesday afternoon pulled off a massive upset, knocking off top seed and nationally ranked South Walton, 2-1, to capture the Class 3A state baseball championship at Hammond Stadium.

Left-handed pitcher Magdiel Estevez was masterful, tossing a complete game, winning allowing just two hits to one of the nation’s top offenses.

Taylor Ancheta belted a second inning home run that gave the Golden Hawks (28-3) the early lead.

Miami Springs added an insurance run in the sixth inning, scoring an unearned run.

But the two-run cushion was briefly held as South Walton (31-4) pushed a run across in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Estevez made the run hold up as the lefty struck out the side in the seventh, giving the Golden Hawks the school’s first ever state baseball championship.

The Seahawks started Braxton Varnes, who yielded the home run to Ancheta.

In the third inning, Springs threatened when Justin Mercado tripled to right field. South Walton turned to right-hander Coleman Borthwick, the hard-throwing Auburn commit.

Borthwick was clocked at 96 mph in the game, came in bringing heat. The right-hander worked out of the third inning jam, holding the score at 1-0.

Borthwick also had one of South Walton’s two hits.

A key moment came in the bottom of the sixth inning, after South Walton scored to close the gap to one. Borthwick was intentionally walked, putting runners on the corners. But Estevez got out of it with a strikeout.

The fact the game was dominated by pitching was surprising, especially after South Walton clobbered Hernando, 17-2, winning by a mercy rule in four innings.

South Walton had become accustomed to posting huge scoring totals. At one point in the season, the Seahawks had a string of eight straight games scoring in double digits, including a 24-1 win against Pensacola on April 14 in the district tournament.

On March 13, South Walton became the only team to beat IMG Academy this season, taking a 7-6 decision. The Seahawks had won 21 straight games.

But Miami Springs also has been impressive.

The Golden Hawks on Monday upset local Fort Myers power, Bishop Verot, 12-2, in front of a large contingent of Verot fans. Like South Walton, Bishop Verot also is nationally ranked.

Pitching has been the key all season for Springs, which didn’t allow more than three runs in 11 straight games.