Jay Rallies Past Lafayette To Reach Class 1A State Final

The Hornets collected ten hits, but were frustrated at the plate batting with runners in scoring position.

From the very start of the season, the Jay Royals have excelled at using all of their outs to find ways to win ball games. On opening day, that meant scoring five runs in the top of the seventh inning for their first comeback victory. Flash forward to Wednesday’s state semifinal, and that experience paid off again.

Jay overcame a one-run deficit with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning, and then held on for a 4-2 win over the Lafayette Hornets, in a Class 1A semifinal at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.

It is the seventh comeback win of the season for the Royals (18-10). Only this time it propels the team to the Class 1A state championship, where Jay will face the Bozeman Bucks on Thursday afternoon for the chance to win the program’s first state title since 1970.

The Royals celebrate after taking the lead in the fifth inning of their 4-2 win over Lafayette in Wednesday’s 1A state semifinal.

Bozeman (27-3) advanced to the finale after a convincing 10-0 victory over the Trenton Tigers in Wednesday’s other 1A state semifinal.

Trailing 3-2 after four full frames, the turning point came with the Royals batting in the top of the fifth. Senior shortstop Wyatt Peaden led off with a single to center, and he quickly represented the tying run in scoring position thanks to a sacrifice bunt from Grayson Shehan. Catcher Ryan Starosta reached safely next to put runners on the corners, and then gave way to courtesy runner Jacob Cannon.

Senior Ethan McDonald came through in the big moment to drive in the winning runs. McDonald worked the count, taking a pitch on a 1-1 count to allow Cannon to swipe second. With the count at 2-2, McDonald sent a liner to right field for an RBI double that drove in both base runners to catapult the Royals to a 3-2 lead.

The Royals were aggressive at the plate to collect seven hits, as every offensive starter reached base to play a part in the win.

McDonald was 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead Jay. He also plated a valuable insurance run in the top of the seventh, sending in Shehan with an RBI single to right.

The Hornets (23-3) proved a formidable opponent that was tough right down to the final out. In the bottom of the seventh, Lafayette rallied to put the tying run on base and bring the winning run represented by the batter at the plate, as Brayden Richardson lined a single to shallow center and Garrett Taylor had a base hit to right to bring a dangerous hitter to the plate in junior Hyatt Richardson.

Richardson stung the ball hard on the first pitch he saw from reliever Jax Lowery, but it went straight to Peadin at third base. The ball seemed almost on a string straight to the glove, as Peadin squeezed the final out cleanly to close the contest with one final, electric moment. Had that ball gotten past third base, chances are the game would have been tied up.

Pitcher Hyatt Richardson was a beast for the Hornets, going the distance on the mound while also driving in both their runs.

Hyatt Richardson delivered an unforgettable performance on the grand stage. The right-hander made the start and never gave the ball back, going seven strong innings on exactly 100 pitches. He surrendered two earned runs on seven hits and a walk, and he recorded three strikeouts. At the plate, Hyatt was 2-for-4, and his double to left in the bottom of the third drove in both their runs to put Lafayette ahead 2-1.

Jay struck first to crack the scoreboard with a 1-0 advantage in the top of the third. Peadin led off with a double to right, and an error saw him to move to third base. Starosta then dropped down a squeeze bunt that allowed Peadin to race across the plate.

Peadin was 2-for-3 with two runs on the afternoon.

The Hornets celebrate at the plate, after Johntavious Cook and Garrett Taylor both scored on an RBI double from Hyatt Richardson.

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