LIVE FROM SARASOTA: Cambridge vs. Jacksonville Eagle's View

Stay posted with live updates from today's Cambridge's FHSAA Class 1A state championship game  against Jacksonville Eagle's View. Times staff writers Eduardo A. Encina and Keith Niebuhr will keep you in the know as the Lancers go for their first state baseball title in school history at Sarasota's Ed Smith Stadium with posts in the comments second. Feel free to give your feedback.

Post-game wrap: Despite a five-run seventh inning comeback, Cambridge fell to Eagle’s View in the Class 1A state final at Sarasota’s Ed Smith Stadium, 8-6.

Lancers starter Michael Miller, taken out of Cambridge’s 18-run rout Monday after two innings, struggled after starting back-to-back days, lasting just 2 1/3 innings on the mound. But the Cambridge senior gave the Lancers hope in the seventh, hitting a towering two-run homer to left to cut the Warriors lead to two.

“We knew there was a possibility,” Miller said.

But moments later, as Logan McDougall, who had a team-high three hits, took a called strike three, the Lancers could only watch as Eagle's View celebrated with a pile in front of the mound.

“These guys showed all the heart in the world,” Lancers coach Rick Shears said. “They’ve done this all year. Never give up. We knew we were facing a good team. It was a good 1-2 matchup.”

The Lancers (26-3) couldn’t duplicate its state semifinal offensive output against Eagle’s View, a team that beat Class 5A champ Dunedin and national heavyweight Sarasota. Eagle's View has now won back-to-back state titles and its third in four seasons.

Instead, the Cambridge bats managed just two hits over the first three innings following a 1 hour, 57 minute relay.

“We knew they were a tough team,” shortstop Trent Tagliarini said. “But we showed heart all year. We weren’t going to give up now. It’s the state finals. It’s the seniors’ last game. The team stepped it up and we obviously showed our heart.”

Team                       1-2-3-4-5-6-7---R-H-E
Cambridge Christian 0-0-0-1-0-0-5---6-9-1
Eagle's View's           3-3-1-0-0-1-X---8-12-0

During a rain delay the Cambridge high school players walk onto a soggy field before their State baseball final at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. [Willie Allen, Jr., Times]

Comments

[Eduardo A. Encina]

For those of you coming out to Ed Smith Stadium, it might be a good idea to bring your umbrellas, raincoats, $1 ponchos to the ballpark. The forecast is calling for light rain. Just sayin'

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Just spoke with Cambridge coach Rick Shears, who said the game has been postponed until 6 pm. In the time being, the Lancers will hang out in the clubhouse and wait for batting practice at 4. A shipment of granola and fruit is on the way for the Lancers.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Rain's still coming down here. The tarp is still on the field. Some of the Lancers players are mingling about.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

We're still looking at a 6 p.m. start and the Lancers have emerged from the dugout and are heading to take batting practice at the indoor cages.

Just a side note. Yesterday's game included a little bit of controversy. After the Lancers' 18-0 win over Trinity, Trinity coach Mike Maples said he thought the Lancers ran up the score on his team in the top of the third with Cambridge up by 11. The Lancers scored six runs in that inning and tried to steal second and ran an unsuccessful suicide squeeze. Shears, who said the game was far from over, said he talked to Maples last night and patched things up. So it's all good. Cambridge and Trinity might even schedule a game next season, Shears said.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

The sun's out, the tarp's off the infield and the official start time has been set for 6. In the meantime, the grounds staff will have to work on the warning track, which is puddled from leftcenter to centerfield.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Here are the starting lineups, fresh off the press:
Cambridge (Visitors)
1 Will Bakos CF
32 Andrew Widell 3B
23 Trent Tagliarini SS
2 Erik Shears C
5 Michael Miller RHP
3 Taylor Cabral RF
24 Logan McDougall LF
8 Matt Fishman 1B
22 Peter Miller 2B

Jacksonville Eagle's View (Home)
4 Matt Bergquist SS
8 Jordan Stolte 2B
13 Austin Maddox C
5 Matt Allen 3B
9 Tyler Jackson CF
34 Chris Dunnington RF
7 Danny English 1B
10 Kyle Russo P
17 Zach Houck LF

Eagles Views gonna kill

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Kudos to Pat Calhoon and his staff at Ed Smith. We're going to start in a few minutes. They were able to clear 3 1/4 inches from the outfield warning track to get this game underway.

Eagle's Nest going down.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

First pitch at 5:58, a ball to Will Bakos. Temperature is 80 degrees (but it feels like 85). Winds are from the west (blowing out to left) at 8 mph.

Bakos flies out to center on the second pitch of the game.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Andrew Widell is retired for the first time since the Lancers arrived in Sarasota (He ws 4-for-4 yesterday), grounding out to third.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Trent Tagliarini walks.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Erik Shears grounds out to second. The Lancers are retired. The Warriors coming up. No score after a half-inning.

Leadoff hitter Matt Bergquist laid down a nice bunt to third for a bunt single, beating out Widell's throw.

By the way, official state time was 5:57.

Miller, who is starting today after making 27 pitches yesterday, has allowed the first two batters to reach. Jordan Stolts walked to put runner and first and second.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Eagle's View No. 3 hitter Austin Maddox, who entered the tournament with 45 RBIs singled in the first run to center. 1-0 Eagle's View.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Sacrifice bunt 1-4 by Matt Allen, one out, runners on second and third.

Maybe Eagle's Perch isn't going down. JAX has enough titles this year. Obviously some very good H.S. ball being played up there.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

After Tyler Jackson struck out, Chris Dunnington hit a two-run single to give Eagle's View a 3-0 lead.

And Danny English hit an infield single up the middle on a ball that Pete Miller scooped cleanly but slipped behind the bag, but Dunnington was thrown out stealing third.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Michael Miller leads off the top of the second with a double ... Chris Brown in as the pinch runner.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Brown nearly got picked off at second, but just beat the throw back to the bag. Still no outs and a runner on second for the Lancers, who could use or run here to let Eagle's View know this won't be a walkover.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Cabral strikes out swinging: 1 out, man on second

[Keith Niebuhr]

McDougall with a hard single to center ... he reaches second on the throw in. Brown moves to third. One out still, with CC threatening.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Fishan strikes out swinging. ... 2 outs, man on second and third.
Miller now up

[Keith Niebuhr]

Miller grounds out to short ... that's it ... 0 runs, 2 hits .... 2 left on in the inning.
3-0 Eagle's View as we head to the last of the second.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Russo leads off the second for EV with a hard single to left.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Houck bunt is fielded by CC, but the runner beats the throw to second. No error, but EV now has men at first and second with nobody out.

Cambridge better start making plays soon, before this gets out of hand early

EV is NOT crushing the ball.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Single to CF by Bergquist ... one RBI, now men at first and third. It's 4-0 and there is still nobody out.

okay, now there is ... a popup to second. still men at first and third.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Another EV single. this time by Austin Maddox. a run came in, so it's now 5-0 with 1 out in the second and men at first and second ....

Conference for CC at the mound. Somehow, the Lancers must stop the bleeding

[Keith Niebuhr]

Austin Maddox single to left ... it's 5-0 and two men on with one out.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Austin Maddox singled in another run to make it 5-0. And Matt Allen flied out to left.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Tyler Jackson with a grounder to third that's bobbled. The bases are juiced with 2 outs for EV.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

The Lancers have won games with defense. And you don't see Widell miss balls like the one he just did. Just yesterday they joked about the condition after the field. Playing at Doc Nance teaches well, but not today.

[Keith Niebuhr]

A run was walked in, then English grounded out to second ... three outs ... It's 6-0 after 2 full innings.

the line ...
CC 0-2-1
EV 6-7-0

CC clearly has some jitters, as evidenced by its fielding. These games can slip away fast, so the Lancers better pull it together in a hurry

[Keith Niebuhr]

Bakos grounds out to short for out No. 1.
Widell now up

[Keith Niebuhr]

Widell ... grounder to second for out No. 2 ....

Tagliarini up ... he walks. man at first, 2 outs.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Shears strikes out to end the top of the third .... still 6-0 EV

the current line ...

CC 0-2-1
EV 6-7-0

[Keith Niebuhr]

Russo singles to left to start the bottom of the third ... that's 8 hits for the Warriors.

[Keith Niebuhr]

checked swing, grounder to the pitcher. one out, but the lead runner moves to second.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Cambridge pitching coach Sam Marsonek made a rare trip to the mound to pull Miller. Sophomore Matt Fishman comes on with runners at first and second and one out.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Double steal on Fishman's first pitch. Another run comes in on a grounder to third that scored Russo.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

With a runner at third, Cambridge issues an intentional walk to Austin Maddox.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Tagliarini catches Matt Allen's popup to retire the side.

CC 0-0-0---0-2-1
EV 3-3-1---7-8-0

[Keith Niebuhr]

Miller grounds out the third ... great play over there. 1 out.

Cabral up

[Keith Niebuhr]

Cabral flies out to left. 2 down

McDougall up. Thus far, the Lancers have just 2 hits.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

In his final high school start, this was Miller's roughest outing of the season. He hadn't allowed more than four earned runs or six hits in a game, but tonight he allowed seven runs -- six earned -- on eight hits in 2 1/3 innings.

[Keith Niebuhr]

McDougall responds with a 2-out shot down the third-base line for a double. Fishman up ... can he produce???

[Eduardo A. Encina]

McDougall has two of Cabridge's three hits.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Fishman with a single to center to score McDougall for the Lancers' first run ... Fishman reaches second on the throw and it's 7-1.

Pete Miller now up. still two outs

[Eduardo A. Encina]

A side note: Cambridge, a school of just 192 students, brought a pretty good crowd tonight. We didn't notice them because until Fishman's run-scoring single, they didn't have much to cheer about.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Peter Miller grounds out to short to end the Lancers' half of the fourth.
it's now 7-1.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Tyler Jackson grounds out to short. 1 out

[Keith Niebuhr]

Dunnington grounds out to third .... 2 gone

[Keith Niebuhr]

English grounds out the short to end the EV half of the fourth. It's still 7-1 Eagle's View. That was the first inning that the Warriors' failed to score.

current line ...
CC 1-4-1
EV 7-8-0

[Eduardo A. Encina]

The Lancers need a rally soon. It's definitely possible. They put up six runs in one inning yesterday and seven in another. But Eagle's View pitcher Kyle Russo has kept them off balance.

Will Bakos leads off the with a ground out to second.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Widell grounds out to shortstop, but Tagliarini singled on the first pitch to extend the inning.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Shears flied out to deep center, right in the area that was filled with water just a couple hours ago. He's 0-for-7 in Sarasota.

After 4 1/2:
CC 0-0-0-1-0--1-5-1
EV 3-3-1-0----7-8-0

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Russo pops up to second.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

No. 9 hitter Zack Houck beat out a bunt to Fishman by a step.

whats the score and whos winning

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Berkquist hits a single that goes off Fishman's glove and then heads to where Peter Miller was before he ran to second to cover the bag and into rightcenter.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Berkquist is caught off the bag 1-4-3 and Stolte grounds out to end the inning.

After five:
CC 0-0-0-1-0--1-5-1
EV 3-3-1-0-0--7-10-0

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Michael Miller can't beat the throw from third despite a headfirst slide. One down.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

After Cabral struck out, McDougall hit a hard single up the middle, almost taking out the pitcher. He's 3-for-3.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Fishman walks to put runners at first and second.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

McDougall caught in a 1-5-6.

Maddox leads off the with a single. He's raking today, 3-for-3 with an intentional walk.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Nice play by Tagliarini, playing in with one out and Maddox at third. He charged Jackson's grounder and baited Maddox off the bag and caught the lead runner. Jackson's at first on a FC

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Hunter Livengood hit a double off McDougall's head in left, but McDougall recovered to throw out Livengood at second, but Maddox scored from third.

The Lancers are down their their final three ours. Peter Miller, Bakos and Widell due up.

After six:
CC 0-0-0-1-0-0--1-6-1
EV 3-3-1-0-0-1--8-12-0

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Peter Miller walks to lead off the inning.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Bakos walks....runners on first and second.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

I don't dare say there's a rally, but Widell's rocket single up the middle scores Miller from second. Bakos beats the throw to third from home.

And Tagliarini just singles home Bakos to ake it 8-3. We know the Lancers can score.

Pitching change. Maddox out and Tyler Green is in.

As Green warms, runners at first and third with Erik Shears up. No outs.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Erik Shears hit a sac fly to center. 8-4.

THE LANCERS ARE ALIVE!

Michael Miller just hit a two-run homer to left field. 8-6.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Momentum has officially shifted as Cabral steps up.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

Taylor Cabral strikes out on a low pitch. Down to the final out.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

One of the wierdest things you've seen. McDougall hit a ball that hit off him, was initially ruled foul. He was throw out at first, prompting a celebration at the mound. But they had to remove the pile when it was ruled a foul ball.

Second life for Cambridge.

[Eduardo A. Encina]

One more pitch, and McDougall is caught looking. It's over

CC 0-0-0-1-0-0-5---6-9-1
EV 3-3-1-0-0-1-X---8-12-0

When Chuck Norris goes to out to eat, he orders a whole chicken, but he only eats its soul.

we should have dimed them