Trinity Christian Academy set to face The First Academy in Class 2A state baseball final

Both Trinity Christian Academy and The First Academy held on to win one-run games

Trinity Christian Academy right-hander Aaron Watson yielded one hit and struck out seven against Berkeley Prep in the Class 2A state semifinals. / Joe Frisaro

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – When you have a couple of aces, it’s hard to make the wrong call.

There’s no denying Trinity Christian Academy made the right choice starting senior right-hander Aaron Watson in the Class 2A state baseball semifinals on Tuesday morning at Hammond Stadium.

The Virginia commit battled the intense 90-plus degree heat, and overwhelmed the Berkeley Prep hitters.

Watson gave up just one hit, while striking out seven in Trinity Christian Academy’s 1-0 win over a pesky Berkeley Prep squad, which still had a chance to pull off the upset.

The Conquerors (30-4) will face The First Academy at noon on Wednesday in the Class 2A championship game. Trinity Christian has their co-ace, right-hander Ethan Wheeler ready for the final.

Watson was the story.

About a dozen area scouts were on hand, most flashing radar guns to tracking Watson’s impressive arsenal of pitches.

Watson’s fastball was 92-94 mph, and his sinker induced plenty of soft contact and ground balls. To keep hitters off his heater, the 6-foot-5 right-hander snapped off some unhittable 84-85 mph sliders.

The lone hit by Berkeley Prep came in the fifth inning when Ben O’Brien slapped a single to right field. Watson shook the hit off and picked the runner off first.

Watson struck out seven and walked two.

Berkeley Prep (25-10) did have a runner on in the seventh inning, but he was caught trying to steal second.  Watson ended the game with a ground ball to first.

Based on how the first inning looked, it appeared Trinity Christian Academy was headed to a comfortable contest. Brady Harris ripped a one-out triple, and Jordan Martinez blistered an RBI double.

But left-hander Rivers Kurkland settled and battled through six innings, striking out five, while allowing just that first-inning run.

Harris, Martinez and Chris Reali each had three hits for the Conquerors.

THE FIRST ACADEMY 3, SAINT ANDREW’S 2

 In the second Class 2A state semifinal, The First Academy rode the pitching of Kyle Hopper to edge Saint Andrew’s, 3-2.

The Royals (29-4) fell behind by two runs in the top of the first inning, but scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the inning.

Roy Rodriguez’s run-scoring double opened the scoring for the Royals. And with two outs, Kinon Bastian laced a two-run double, making it 3-2.

That closed out the scoring for both teams.

Hopper worked six innings, giving up two unearned runs. The right-hander scattered five hits and struck out nine. Blake Fields closed out the seventh inning for the save.

Saint Andrew’s (22-7) started off fast, getting a leadoff single Coy Allman. Carter Derks also added a hit in the first inning. Courtesy runner, Harrison Hansen, who ran for Allman, and Derks each scored on a error.

Michael Tight threw 4 1/3 innings, and was charged with three runs on five hits, and he logged three strikeouts. Derks threw 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Scots.