SHADY HILLS — Bishop McLaughlin had to be confident going into Tuesday night’s Class 3A region semifinal after coming off of a victory over Tampa Prep in the district championship game.

A rematch in the second round of the state playoffs did not go the same way as the Terrapins took advantage of Hurricane miscues, leading to an 8-3 win.

“This was good revenge,” Tampa Prep coach A.J. Hendrix said, “but the most important thing is that we’re moving on.”

Bishop McLaughlin (18-8) was only 2-1 against its district rival during the regular season, but after coming away with a the district title, the Hurricanes felt good.

Watson Ransom, whom the Terrapins (19-10) had on the mound in the district final, started the region semifinal as well, and he had redemption on his mind. Although Ransom went five innings without allowing an earned run in the previous matchup, the Hurricanes made good contact.

“Considering that they beat us in the district final, this was a big win,” Ransom said. “I thought that I pitched well in that game, but the defense wasn’t as good as it has been.”

It was Bishop McLaughlin’s pitching that ended up being the difference early. 

Carson Ragsdale (5-5) walked five batters and threw 54 pitches in only 1 2/3 innings before being pulled. He surrendered four runs in the second inning, all unearned. Of the eight runs to cross the plate for Tampa Prep, only two were actually earned thanks to crucial two-out errors in both the second and fourth innings.

Ransom (7-3) answered the call from there. Staked to a 4-0 lead, the senior was masterful. He threw 108 pitches in a complete-game win, giving up one earned run, striking out four and walking only one. It was a good bounce-back outing following the district final.

“That’s the way high school pitching is,” Hendrix said. “You have to throw strikes to be successful.”

Matt Hodges (2-for-2, two runs, two RBIs, two walks) was the leader at the plate for Tampa Prep. His two-out two-run single in the second is what opened things up.

This is the third consecutive region final for the Terrapins, including a state semifinal berth in 2012.

LAND O’LAKES — In a battle of district runners-up, Sunlake’s historic run continued Tuesday night with a 3-0 win over Pasco in a Class 5A region semifinal.

Sunlake’s David Castillo and Pasco’s Malik Johns were locked in a pitchers’ duel most of the game. Castillo, a left-hander, scattered three hits, struck out six, walked two and hit four batters. The right-handed Johns allowed five hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

“Malik did a great job and David did as well,” Sunlake coach Dick Rohrberg said. “They just kept throwing strikes.”

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Seahawks (19-9) mounted the only rally. Colton King and Castillo singled for the game’s first back-to-back base hits. Johns walked Zac Howard to load the bases before an uncharacteristic error from Pasco second baseman Phillip Wilson led to two runs. Howard scored the final run on Zac Scranton’s suicide squeeze.

“He got a tough hop. It was a tough play,” Rohrberg said of Wilson’s error on a ground ball.

Before that play, Wilson made a diving catch on a line drive to his right and ranged to his left to snare a ground ball that prevented a Sunlake base runner from scoring.

“He’s a great second baseman,” Pasco coach Pat Fortunato said. “He’s been great for me all year.”

The Pirates (17-11) had one last chance to score when Castillo hit Corey Mills and Johns in the top of the seventh. The game ended when Robbie Hanlon grounded out to second baseman Omar Cala, who was cheating toward the middle and stepped on the bag for a force out.

TAMPA — Bayshore Christian first baseman Jordan Martin stood in the on deck circle, his team trailing Cambridge Christian 5-3 with one out in the seventh inning of a Class 2A, Region 2 semifinal at Interbay Little League, as he hoped for one more chance at bat.

After watching Evan Courtney walk with the bases loaded to trim the deficit to one run, Martin got his moment.

With two strikes and facing Cambridge reliever Henry Mesa, the Lancers’ third pitcher of the game, Martin knocked a fastball to the gap in left centerfield to score two runs and send Bayshore to the region final with a dramatic 6-5 walkoff win.

“My dad always said, ‘Sit on a fastball, adjust to the curveball,’ ” Martin said. “So, I was sitting on a fastball thinking about taking it the other way with two strikes, and it worked out.”

Bayshore (14-4) entered the seventh trailing 5-3 and struggling against reliever Ryan Block, who retired the Faith Warriors in order in the fifth and struck out the side in the sixth. Thomas Lake reached after a hard-hit grounder to first base wasn’t handled to lead off the inning, and Johnathan Gonzalez walked — sandwiched around a strikeout — to chase Block. Evan Holland, who pitched seven innings, walked to load the bases. Courtney’s walk then set up Martin’s winner.

“(Martin’s) one of the headiest guys on the team,” Bayshore coach Corey Thomas said. “He doesn’t let a lot rattle him.”

Cambridge (14-8) surrendered three runs in the first, but after scoring a run in the second and another in the third, the Lancers took a 5-3 lead in the sixth on a RBI double by Devin Lopez followed by a two-run double from Tyler House.

Martin and Conner Brown had RBI singles for Bayshore in the first, and Martin beat a throw home on a fielder’s choice for a 3-0 advantage.

“I’m more happy for the guys because they’ve been taking beatings over here for a couple years,” Thomas said. “Now I’m happy that they’re dishing them out.”

TAMPA — After picking up the save last week against Boca Ciega in Jesuit’s opening-round playoff game, Michael Sandborn said if given the option, he’d prefer to start. Tuesday, Sandborn demonstrated why.

Sandborn pitched six strong innings, and Joe Epstein escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh as Jesuit beat Robinson for the fourth time this season, defeating the visiting Knights 4-0 in a Class 5A region semifinal.

“At first I was a little nervous and wild but slowly as the innings went on, I started to lock in a little more,” said Sandborn, who struck out four and gave up three singles.

Sandborn was on cruise control most of the night and only threatened in the third. Robinson’s (10-16) Shawn McGory and Darius Autry singled to open up the inning. They advanced on a groundout, but Sandborn got a strikeout and grounder to wiggle out of the jam.

The senior lefty went out for the seventh but walked the first batter he faced. Epstein came on then walked a pair but got Tommy Craparo to groundout, ending the game.

“I wasn’t nervous at first but after the second walk I was,” Epstein said. “I just wanted to just focus on throwing strikes.”

Ryan McCullers’ RBI single scored Nick Ortega in the first and Braxton Rupp hit a sacrifice fly to score Nick Perillo in the fourth, who narrowly avoided the tag at home to make it 2-0.

Jesuit used some small ball — and heads-up base running — to pad their lead in the sixth. With runners on second and third, Ronnie Ramirez laid down a well-placed suicide squeeze. Perillo scored from third and on the throw to get Ramirez at first, Danny Lastra alertly hustled around from second to make it 4-0.

“(Lastra’s) been around the game a long time,” Warren said. “That proved to be the difference. Robinson plays that seventh inning differently if they were only down by two.”

ST. PETERSBURG — It took exactly one pitch for East Lake’s Brad Deppermann to settle into Tuesday night’s Class 7A region semifinal against Northeast.

Deppermann, the Eagles’ leadoff hitter, homered to left center on Josh Hale’s first pitch and East Lake never looked back in a 9-0 victory.

Deppermann also pitched seven strong innings, striking out 11 and allowing three hits for the shutout. In fact, Deppermann had more hits (four) than hits allowed.

“He’s the best pitcher I’ve ever seen in high school as far as velocity and location,” Northeast coach Rob Stanifer said. “He was the real deal tonight. It was his night for sure. We ran into a buzz saw.”

East Lake (21-8) had no luck against the Vikings before Tuesday, losing both regular-season games and the district final. But Deppermann and some hot bats made sure the fourth time was the charm.

After his first-inning home run, Deppermann followed with an RBI single in the second to score Andrew Belcik. He added a double and a run scored in the fourth inning. His first three hits came on three pitches. He was 4-for-5 with a homer, a double and two singles.

In the third, Andrew Monahan got into the act with a two-run homer off reliever Ryan Quinlivan to make it 4-0. Monahan was 3-for-4 with a double and homer.

East Lake padded the lead in the sixth with a run then blew the game open with three in the seventh. It was the most runs by the Eagles since Feb. 14 against IMG Academy.

Deppermann didn’t give up a hit until the fifth inning and never more than one in an inning. Northeast (24-5) only got one runner to second base, and that came in the second inning as its 18-game winning streak ended.

“Our first loss of the season came on this field and we didn’t want our last loss to come on this field,” Deppermann said. “We’re all starting to peak at the right time.”

East Lake will play Friday at Melbourne in the region final, East lake’s first since 2002.

Eagles coach Dan Genna was confident having Deppermann on the mound, and especially after the leadoff home run.

“Honestly I thought two or three runs would do it,” Genna said. “I haven’t seen Brad give up too much more than that in a game. And the way he pitched against Sarasota’s lineup, he was ready.”

Northeast hoped to start lefthander Colton Tison, but he was scratched in favor of Hale. The Vikings used four pitchers against the Eagles.

“(Tison) wasn’t 100 percent so I wasn’t going to pitch him,” Stanifer said. “That kid’s got a future to worry about. Josh has been a horse all year.”

TAMPA — For eight innings, they exchanged drama with disappointment. Finally, destiny was on Bloomingdale’s side.

Bloomingdale, which had lost three previous meetings against Plant, won 5-3 Tuesday night in Class 8A play to advance to its first region final since 2007. The Panthers were MaxPreps’ 12th-ranked team in the state.

The Bulls had a bevy of heroes. Junior right-hander Daylon Owens had a key start. Senior first baseman Josh Mote made the play of the game in the fifth with his relay home completing a double play. Senior Logan Crouse (7-2), a Florida State commit, knocked in the decisive run with a double off the left-field fence, and pitched the final 3 2/3 innings to complete seventh-year coach Kris Wilken’s signature victory thus far.

“I felt like my other guys, especially Daylon, have the stuff to get (Plant) out and we game planned I thought pretty well for them,” Wilken said. “But you can game plan all you want. It comes down to the kids executing and, my kids I couldn’t be prouder of them. They executed great.”

Crouse’s double with one out in the eighth off Plant’s Stephen Chamblee (6-2) scored Conrado Skepple, who had singled. Mote added an RBI single. They were the first earned runs the Bulls had scored this year against Plant in 29 innings. Bloomingdale parlayed three Panther infield errors into three unearned runs to take a 3-2 fifth-inning lead.

“I didn’t really do anything,” Crouse said. “You need to talk to No. 21.”

That is Owens, the loser in the district finale April 24 against Plant. “I was throwing a lot of breaking balls for strikes, because we knew that was one of (Plant’s) weaknesses,” he said.

Owens left with one out in the fifth and the bases loaded. Crouse faced Plant slugger Kyle Tucker, who lofted a fly to short right. Skepple caught the ball and threw it to cut-off man Mote, whose relay to catcher Jamie Calloway cut down Nick Cerelli by 10 feet and preserved the Bulls’ 3-2 lead.

“I knew that (Cerelli) was going to come home,” Mote said. “It was a perfect throw (by Skepple), so I just turned and threw it home. We been fighting with (Plant) all year and it’s just a huge win for us.”

Chamblee’s two-out RBI single in the seventh extended the game.

On the double play, Plant coach Plant coach Dennis Braun said: “We needed to be aggressive. (Defense) absolutely (cost us the game).”

CLEARWATER — After seven innings of brilliantly played baseball Tuesday night, something had to give.

For Clearwater Central Catholic, it was its 26-game winning streak, its undefeated season and a berth in the Class 3A region final.

Spurred on by an outstanding 127-pitch, complete game from Daniel Broeseker, batterymate Tommy Georgevich rewarded the senior with an opposite-field double that scored Ray Hansen in the top of the eighth inning, leading to Calvary Christian’s 3-0 victory.

And after erasing the memory of three losses to the Marauders (26-1), the Warriors (22-7) will head south Friday to face Fort Myers Canterbury in the region final.

“With a runner on second base (after a single and Calvary’s third successful sacrifice bunt) I was just looking for a pitch to hit,” said Georgevich, who reached base three times. “(CCC starter David Paul) kept throwing me fastballs away and he threw a pitch I was looking for.”

Georgevich rifled the ball over first base for the winner, then scored along with Graham Hoffman (intentional walk) on Grant McDaniel’s double off reliever Michael Paul.

“The longer the game went on, the more confident we got,” Georgevich said. “We were making plays, momentum was going our way, we knew we could beat them.”

Broeseker, working with a dazzling curve and stellar control, yielded a one-out single to Brendan Overton in the eighth but rode his ninth strikeout and a groundout  to the emotional win.

“(CCC’s) a good team but I had everyone behind me,” Broeseker said. “I wasn’t going to quit. It’s surreal but I knew our team could do it.”

“Daniel was just about out of gas, but the kid was all heart out there. He gave us everything,” Warrior coach Greg Olson said of a pitcher that battled out of multi-runner jams in the fourth and seventh innings.

Marauders coach Greg Vaughan said, “I told the kids after the game, thank you for your efforts. You left it all on the field and (Calvary) earned what they got. There are no regrets.”

TAMPA — It was supposed to happen exactly how it did. 

Berkeley Prep hadn’t used the play yet this season, coach Justin Houston said. But trailing Tampa Catholic by a run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning of Tuesday’s Class 4A region semifinal, it was now or never. 

With Dante Bosnic on third and Nick Kavouklis on second, Kavouklis took a walking lead toward second, attempting to distract A.J. Chacon on the mound. It worked.

As Chacon swiveled around to pick off Kavouklis, it gave Bosnic just enough time to take off for the tying score. “I had a free line to home,” Bosnic said.

Bosnic’s big night wasn’t over, though, as the Brown signee hit a walk-off single in the 11th inning to deliver the 5-4 win to the Bucs.

“He’s our horse. He’s our leader and our captain,” Houston said. “He’s the guy we’ve leaned on all year.”

Berkeley batted around in the first inning, scoring on a bases-loaded hit by pitch and back-to-back RBI singles from Casey Keller and Spencer Myers.

With Bosnic on the mound for the first 6 1/3 innings, the Berkeley Prep defense held the Crusaders to just a single run, scored on a sac bunt, through five.

But in the sixth, Tampa Catholic finally began stringing hits together, and the Crusaders scored on a fielder’s choice and a Berkeley Prep throwing error before plating the go-ahead run on a Jordan Santos RBI single. 

Bosnic, who, along with Danny Brackman went 3-for-6, executed the game-saving play to keep his Bucs (17-12) alive in the seventh. But for the next three-and-a-half frames, neither team could make a move. 

Chacon, who pitched the final 6 2/3 innings for the Crusaders (17-10), didn’t allow a single hit in the eighth, ninth or 10th innings, striking out three in the process. But in the 11th, Gordon Stetson had a leadoff single — the Bucs’ ninth hit of the game — and Brackman followed with one of his own.

Then Bosnic stepped up and saved his team once more.

The senior’s hit to leftfield brought Stetson home, ending a game that, for a while, didn’t seem to have an end in sight. The Bucs advance to their second region final in three years, where it will look for its first state semifinal berth since 2000. 

After the game, Bosnic acknowledged he had a good night. But, his mind on what’s to come, Bosnic was quick to shrug it off. 

“It was huge,” he said. “But we’re not done yet.”

Here are the offers we've heard or seen reported for Wednesday:

Saivion Smith, Lakewood 2016 ATH picks up his first offer, and it's a big one -- Clemson. He also picked up UCF. Not a bad day. Check out the new Spartan's Hudl page HERE.

Sawyer Dawson, Plant City 2015 LB, picks up an offer from Marshall and Purdue. That's his sixth. Click HERE for his highlight film.

Nate Craig, Tampa Catholic 2016 WR offered by UCLA. Check out his highlights HERE.

Kal-EL Williams, Pinellas Park 2015 RB offered by Western Kentucky. That's two offers in two days for the 1,000-yard back. Here's him running a bunch of people over last season. CLICK.

Jonathan Crawford, Largo 2015 LB/S/WR offered by Florida International and North Carolina State. Crawford's highlights can be view RIGHT HERE. 

Bo Peek, Berkeley Prep's 2016 DT, offered by Syracuse. Watch him wreak havoc HERE.

Deon Cain, Tampa Bay Tech 2015 QB/WR, offered by Wisconsin. Cain will play WR in college, but here he is making some plays as a QB last fall.

Dillan Gibbons, St. Petersburg Catholic 2017 DT is offered by Ohio State. Gibbons, just a freshman, also offered by Cincinnati on Tuesday. 

Christian Pellage, Nature Coast Tech 2015 OL, picks up an offer from Oregon.

Jordan Griffin, Armwood 2015 LB, offered by Wisconsin. Here's Jordan in action. 

Jacob Mathis, Berkeley Prep 2016 DE/WR, picked up two offers today: Syracuse and Temple. Here's @Cuddie_J's highlight film right. HERE.

Malik Barrow, Tampa Catholic 2016 DL offered by Kentucky. 

Dillan Gibbons is only 14 years old, but is already attracting major college attention.

The St. Petersburg Catholic freshman, who won't be 15 until August, picked up an Ohio State offer Wednesday, a day after he picked up his first offer from Cincinnati.

The Baron prospect may be young, but he will attract attention due to his size and his bloodlines. The younger brother of Reilly Gibbons, one of the top left tackle recruits last year and a Stanford signee, Dillan is already 6-foot-5, 274 pounds with a meaner streak than his older brother.

Reilly Gibbons, for comparison's sake, weighed in at 178 pounds during his freshman year at Seminole before developing into a 6-6, 300-pound All-County standout for SPC.

Dillan Gibbons started every game on the line for SPC last year, alternating between left guard and right  tackle, helping block for a rushing attack that produced a pair of 1,000-yard rushers.

photo gallery 

VERO BEACH — The only drama in Wednesday’s Class 2A state semifinal centered on how quickly Canterbury could get out of the midday sun and into another state championship game.

The Crusaders exploded for six runs in the first inning and coasted to a 15-1 win over Sarasota Christian in five innings at Historic Dodgertown. Canterbury (18-6) advanced to its fourth state title game since 2009 and will vie for a second straight state championship in today’s 1:35 p.m. showdown with Aucilla Christian.

“The entire season we’ve been playing great teams,” pitcher Kama Woodall said. “So we used that to learn how to be great.”

And if Wednesday’s blowout is any indication, Canterbury should have no problem cementing its status as a great program by securing its third state championship in the last four years. The Crusaders have outscored opponents 41-1 in four playoff games.

Canterbury piled on early when leadoff hitter Lindsay Graves reached first on one of Sarasota Christian’s four errors. The Crusaders followed with three consecutive singles to take a 3-0 lead. The game never got any closer.

“We came out strong from the beginning and stayed strong all game,” Crusaders coach Jody Moore said.

Canterbury added three runs in the second and two on homers in the third. Taylor Bump stretched a hit to centerfield into an inside-the-park homer that was officially ruled a triple and an error. Catcher Danielle Romanello followed with an even longer blast — an 0-2 changeup she rocketed 240 feet into right-centerfield. That home run was her eighth of the season and the fifth in her last six games.

“I wasn’t really expecting it to go over,” said Romanello, who finished 4-for-4 with four RBIs and a triple.

Sarasota Christian’s only flurry of hope came in the top of the fourth, when Cheyenne Miller doubled and scored on a hit by sixth grader Mckenzie Clark. It was the first run Canterbury had allowed in the playoffs.

But Woodall escaped the inning unscathed after that to continue the rout. She allowed only two hits and no walks, struck out 12 batters and threw 47 of her 60 pitches for strikes.

Seven Crusaders batted in runs, and Bump was also perfect at the plate (4-for-4 with two RBIs, two triples).

“They’re ranked No. 1 in the state for a reason,” Blazers coach Dallas Miller said.

CLEARWATER — No family has infiltrated Countryside the way the Chmeliks have the past decade.

There was Jimbo, who quarterbacked the Cougars from 2007-09 and set the school record for career touchdown passes with 37. Cody followed and started as a defensive back from 2010-11. Both went on to play at Quincy, though Cody is transferring to play somewhere in Florida with Jimbo graduating.

Now, it’s Trent Chmelik’s turn to continue the family legacy at Countryside. The 6-foot-1, 172-pound rising junior takes over as a full-time starter at quarterback.

As a backup last season, Trent Chmelik threw for 588 yards and four touchdowns.

“I’m more comfortable with the offense now, and I think we’re going to do big things,” Trent said. “It should be exciting.”

Eric Schmitz, the team’s former offensive coordinator, takes over at coach. The spread offense is still in place, and most of the skill players return, including running back Dante Satcher and receivers Chris Ryan and Slyvester Kimbrough.

“We’ve been working together a lot in the offseason, and we feel real confident,” Trent Chmelik said. “I think we’re going to put some big numbers this season.”

He will need some lofty stats, including plenty of touchdown passes the next two years, to surpass his older brother’s numbers and supplant himself as the top quarterback in the family.

I want to try to get where Jimbo was at,” Trent Chmelik said. “That’s just the way it is in this family. We’re close, but we’re competitive in everything.”

He also is trying to make the playoffs, something Countryside has not done during his two seasons. The Cougars were 6-4 last season, finishing behind East Lake and Pinellas Park in Class 7A, District 9.

“My brothers both made the playoffs here, and I’m motivated to get there, too,” Trent Chmelik said. “We want to get back to playing championship football. Our motto is restore the roar.”

The Chmelik legacy doesn’t end once Trent graduates. His cousin, Hunter, is playing for the Junior Cougars and will be a freshman at Countryside in four years.

Speaking of bloodlines …

Dillan Gibbons is only 14 years old, but is already attracting major college attention.

The St. Petersburg Catholic freshman, who won’t be 15 until August, picked up an Ohio State offer Wednesday, a day after his first offer came from Cincinnati.

The Baron prospect may be young, but he will attract attention due to his size and his bloodlines. The younger brother of Reilly Gibbons, one of the top left tackle recruits last year and a Stanford signee, Dillan Gibbons is already 6 feet 5, 274 pounds with a meaner streak than his older brother.

Reilly Gibbons, for comparison’s sake, weighed in at 178 pounds during his freshman year at Seminole before developing into a 6-6, 300-pound all-county standout for SPC.

Dillan Gibbons started every game on the line for SPC last year, alternating between left guard and right  tackle, helping block for a rushing attack that produced a pair of 1,000-yard rushers.

Pasco always has athletes that catch the eye, and despite the graduation in recent years of big-time stars like Janarion Grant, Joey Ivie and Trey Dudley-Giles, there’s still a few — like 6-4 wide receiver Sherwin Emmanuel, Miami commitment Bowman Archibald and defensive stopper Andrew Ivie — who make you say whoa.

Farr is something of a project for the Pirate coaches, who lament that they don’t have more time to work with the giant guard. Though a rising senior, this is Farr’s first time through spring football. He was on the roster last season, but didn’t come out for the team until August. 

Before then? 

“I just sat around and played video games,’’ Farr said. 

He weighed 370 and didn’t move well, but at 330 has improved significantly. He said he ran the 40 in 5.7 seconds when he was timed. 

Farr said he regrets waiting to come out for football until his junior year. But he hopes he will play beyond high school. With college recruiters making Dade City a regular stop to see Archibald, Ivie and others, there’s always a chance someone will look around and ask who the big kid wearing No. 74 is.

Melissa Schmidt has been named the girls head basketball coach at Osceola. Schmidt, 23, takes over for Seth McClung, who coached the Warriors for two years. McClung is now the head baseball coach at Keswick Christian.

Schmidt played high school basketball at Boca Ciega and was a four-year starter. She played on two Pirates teams that went to the state final four. She then went to Saint Leo University to play basketball and recently earned a master’s degree from the school. This past school year Schmidt was an assistant coach at Inlet Grove Community High School in Riviera Beach.  

“I’m definitely excited about coming back home,’’ Schmidt said. “I plan on getting there as soon as possible, meeting the team and getting things started.’’

Osceola was 13-15 this past season. Schmidt said she will be a substitute teacher in the county while she obtains her teaching certificate. Schmidt has many connections in Pinellas County. Her sister, Madison, is a rising junior at Northeast. Her high school coach, Will White, is now the head coach at Northeast.

“She was an extremely versatile player,’’ White said. “That’s going to make her a good coach. Osceola is lucky to have her.’’

photo gallery 

VERO BEACH — From the start of the playoffs until the first two innings of Wednesday’s Class 8A state semifinal, Bloomingdale had hit the ball hard with few runs to show for it.

“I knew that it was just a matter of time before we broke out,” Bulls coach Mandy Schuerman said.

pIn the Bulls’ biggest game in a decade, it finally happened.

Jenna Beswick blasted a three-run homer, and the Bulls bashed up 11 hits to blow out Weston Cypress Bay 9-1 at Historic Dodgertown. Bloomingdale will compete for the second state title in program history and first since 1993 when it faces Oviedo Hagerty, a 5-1 winner over Miami Coral Reef, at 4:35 p.m. today.

“I’m pretty hyped,” said leadoff hitter Elizabeth Jackson, who was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

Bloomingdale (26-3) spotted Cypress Bay a run early on an infield error, but the Bulls weren’t down for long. Darby Bernaldo answered in the bottom half with an RBI single to tie it.

Bulls ace Lace Smith didn’t need much more help. The Buffalo commit dominated again, feasting on the inside of the plate. She allowed only three hits and struck out six in a complete game.

“I just trusted myself more,” said Smith, who also was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

She also trusted an offense that hadn’t scored more than three runs in the playoffs.

Beswick changed that with one swing, taking an 0-and-2 inside pitch over the leftfield wall to make it 5-1 in the third. Beswick sprinted around the bases and didn’t know her hit was out of the park until Schuerman told her to slow down as she rounded third.

“It made me feel like we’re in it as a team,” Beswick said of her first home run of the season.

The Bulls’ offense came together again to break the game open in the sixth.

Taylor Engman knocked a two-run double down the leftfield line. Smith and Shannon Eckaus followed with RBI singles to turn a close game into a rout.

“I was hoping to save it for (today),” Smith said.

VERO BEACH — Chamberlain’s  3-1 loss to Lake Region in Wednesday’s Class 6A state semifinal was only a few moments old when Chiefs coach Bobby Diez began to spin the sorrow into a positive.

When — not if — his young Chiefs win a state title in the next two seasons, the run will have begun with the gritty group gathered around him at Historic Dodgertown.

“It’s going to be this team and these seniors that did this,” Diez said.

The championship rings will have to wait after the Chiefs (27-4) couldn’t complete a textbook Chamberlain comeback.

Lake Region pitcher Haley Wiseman kept Chamberlain’s offense at bay all night. Jenna Brownell’s two-out double and Liz Diaz’s RBI single in the first led to the Chiefs’ only run of the game. Wiseman allowed only two other hits all night while striking out 10.

“I’ve got to give credit to their pitcher,” UCLA-bound outfielder Izzy Ordorica said. “She did a great job tonight. They were just making the plays they needed to make.”

Chamberlain sophomore Olivia Dwyer pitched well enough to keep her team’s quest for a second state title in three years alive until the final inning. Lake Region scored its runs on a sacrifice fly, an RBI double and a rocket to centerfield aided by back-to-back walks.

Despite only getting one runner on base from the second inning through the sixth, Chamberlain had a chance to go ahead in the top of the seventh, as it had done all season long.

“We never gave up,” Ordorica said. “We never do.”

Diaz led off with a single up the middle, and Kelsi Mays added another to put the go-ahead run at the plate. But the Chiefs grounded into a 5-3 double play — their third of the night — to end the game.

“It’s unlike Chamberlain that we didn’t come back,” Diaz said.

If Diez is right, Chamberlain will come back here again, soon.

The Chiefs lose only three seniors from a starless lineup and have talented youngsters across the field. That group also has a taste of high school softball at the highest level, which gives Diez hope that the sobs in the visiting dugout Wednesday night will become shrieks of joy in a year or two.

“My seniors,” Diez said, “will be responsible for that.”

Matt Baker can be reached at mbaker@tampabay.com or on Twitter @MattHomeTeam.

It didn't take long for the college offers to start rolling in Thursday. Here's the list so far. Make sure you keep checking back in as it is updated all day.

Issac Holder, the Sickles 2015 QB, was offered by Ball State. That's Holder's first offer, who projects as a multipositional ATH in college. Here's some of his fine work at quarterback: CLICK.

Land O'Lakes QB James Pensyl landed his first offer. The 6-foot-6 lefty threw for 22 touchdowns and more than 2,300 yards as a junior last fall. He also rushed for 162 yards and five scores.

And one other quarterback picked up his first offer. Alonso's 2016 recruit, Chris Oladokun, took one from Toledo. 

Lakewood 2016 DB/WR Saivion Smith picked up his first two offers Wednesday, and has added Florida. Colleges are liking what they see in the athletic Smith, whom you can watch HERE.

T.J. Chase, Plant City's 2016 athlete and top recruit, picked up a Georgia offer. Here's his sophomore highlight film. It's really good. CLICK. 

Deon Cain, 2015, TBT quarterback-to-be-college-wide reciever picked up an offer from North Carolina State.

Craig Watts, 2016 Gibbs DB, offered by Temple. His highlights are pretty. CLICK. 

Jeff Smith, CCC's 2015 quarterback, has been offered by Boston College and Indiana. Smith led CCC to the state championship game last year. Look HERE how he did it.

Carson Lydon, East Lake 2015 LB, gets his 14th offer, this time from Cincinnati. Lydon is a destroyer at LB. See HERE.

Tampa Catholic WR Nate Craig - a four-star 2016 prospect - picked up an offer from Penn State.

Nature Coast OT Christian Pellage's latest two offers came from Georgia Southern and Louisville. The 6-foot-7, 291-pounder has more than two dozen offers.

Steinbrenner WR Kezio Selling claimed an offer from Eastern Michigan, which has been active in Tampa Bay this week. 

Largo's tandem of QB Donavan Hale and LB/WR/FS Jonathan Crawford, two 2015 prospects, were offered by Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Sickles RB/DB Ray Ray McCloud added to his impressive haul of offers with one from San Diego State.

East Lake 2015 safety Justin Strnad picked up an offer from Marshall. 

St. Petersburg long snapper Garrett Thomason will attend Florida Atlantic as a preferred walk-on, according to coach Joe Fabrizio.

Thomason was a two-year starter for the Green Devils. He snapped on punts and field goals and played some on the offensive line.

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VERO BEACH — Canterbury had been unrelenting, and also largely untested, before it reached Thursday’s Class 2A state championship game against Aucilla Christian. 

Only one opponent, Sarasota Christian in Wednesday’s state semifinal, had even scored on the Crusaders during a postseason in which they had outscored opponents a combined 41-1 in four games.

How would Canterbury react if it was challenged in a tight game? 

The answer came in a 1-0 victory at Historic Dodgertown in which Canterbury had to bear down to overcome a seventh-inning scare. It was the Crusaders’ (21-6) second straight state title and third in four years. Their three titles ties them with Palm Harbor University for the most ever in Pinellas County.

“We worked hard all season to get to this point, and we had a way to push through when it mattered most,” Canterbury coach Jody Moore said. “That’s what good teams do.”

The Crusaders found out quickly they would not be registering another blowout. They struggled at the plate against Aucilla Christian’s Whitney Stevens, who allowed two singles and just three base runners through the first five innings.

Though Canterbury proved somewhat vulnerable in its most important game of the season, it confronted the peril with an unwavering resolve to win.

In the sixth inning, the Crusaders’ bats came alive. Taylor Bump singled and came home on a triple by Danielle Romanello for a 1-0 lead.

“We knew it was just a matter of time before we started to get things going,” said Romanello, who continued her tear through the postseason by going 2-for-3. “We were making contact through the first couple of innings. We just needed to get the good part of the bat on it.”

The real strength of this team was its relentlessness. Sure, it was talented. It had the best players. But it also had players who were willing to work hard and put aside individual achievement for the greater good.

“This is a group of determined girls who constantly pick each other up,” Moore said. “Great attitudes all around.”

The ability to persevere in a close game was also due in large part to a brutal regular season schedule that included games against state semifinal in larger classifications such as 8A Hagerty, 7A Harmony and 6A Gainesville P.K. Yonge.

“Absolutely the schedule played a factor,” Moore said. “It helped the girls what it takes to play in those type of games and the challenge to find a way to come through.”

Though the Crusaders managed just one run, it was enough for Kama Woodall, who was starting in a championship game a second straight year. Woodall allowed just two hits and struck out 13 batters.

The only anxious moments for Woodall came in the seventh inning when she had a throwing error that allowed the leadoff runner to reach base and intentionally walked the next.

No matter. Woodall reached back and fired the ball with authority, getting the two batters to strike out. The final batter popped up to Miranda Posey to seal the game.

“I had the throwing error, but my teammates were there to pick me up,” said Woodall, who allowed just one run in five postseason games. “We had to keep telling ourselves to keep fighting all the way through.”

Canterbury seems to find a way to make things interesting in championship games. All three of the Crusaders’ state titles have been a run and were not decided until the final at-bat.

“Our next goal is to win and not have to worry as much in the seventh inning,” Moore said.

That should be attainable considering the Crusaders return their entire lineup in their quest to become the first Pinellas County team to win three straight state titles.

It’s Tuesday morning and East Lake baseball coach Dan Genna is handing out dog biscuits. Later that evening, his Eagles would play Northeast in a Class 7A region semifinal.

Genna didn’t expect his players to actually eat the biscuits (although we hear some did try). He just wanted to remind them of the team’s adopted motto for the playoffs.

“You gotta stay hungry,’’ Genna said. “Like a hungry dog.”

East Lake (21-8) limped into the postseason. In fact, if not for a Pinellas Park throwing error in the bottom of the eighth inning of the district semifinal, the Eagles might not even be in regionals. 

But here they are. 

After a 3-2 district final loss to Northeast, East Lake pulled off the improbable by winning 2-1 in 10 innings at Sarasota — that’s No. 2 in the MaxPreps state rankings Sarasota. 

Then came Tuesday’s convincing 9-0 win over the Vikings, East Lake’s first win over Northeast in four tries this season. Brad Deppermann dominated, giving up only three hits in seven innings and going 4-for-5 with a home run and a double. 

“I think we’re just now peaking,” Deppermann said. “The bats are coming alive, the defense is playing well.”

Now the Eagles will travel to Melbourne for the region final, the first time East Lake has reached this round since 2002. 

Deppermann (5-3) has been the ace all season. He has pitched 59.1 innings with a 1.09 ERA and 72 strikeouts. In two region games, he has pitched 14 innings and allowed only one run. But with just two days rest, he won’t start Friday.

Genna has a slew of pitchers he can throw —Steven Plaskett, Ryan Wall and Cameron Churchill — but the hitting has been more inconsistent. East Lake struggles to score runs. The nine Tuesday equaled those scored in the Eagles’ previous four games combined. 

“We’ve been working on the hitting all season,” Genna said. “Practices have been tough. When you have our pitching staff we’re facing tough pitching even in practice. And then there’s the schedule. We’ve played a really tough schedule. It’s really helping us now. We don’t care about those early season losses. The last five or six games are the most important.”

Melbourne (28-4), which has won 10 straight, awaits. Is there another long-shot win for East Lake? 

“You never know,’’ Genna said. “Hey, we beat Sarasota, so…”

Like East Lake, Calvary Christian had to battle through regionals after losing the district final to Clearwater Central Catholic. And like East Lake, the Warriors had to beat the Marauders in the region semifinals after losing to them three straight times.

And Calvary Christian also rode the strong arm of its ace into the region finals. Daniel Broeseker threw 127 pitches and shut out the Marauders, who lost their first and only game of the season.

“He’s been our guy all year long,’’ Calvary Christian coach Greg Olsen said. “He’s been huge for us. He sets the tone.’’

Olsen said Broeseker will not start Friday against Fort Myers Canterbury, but he might throw a couple of innings in relief. 

The Warriors (22-7) have never been this far. To stay in the playoffs they’ll have to continue to get timely hitting from players like Tommy Georgevich, Graham Hoffman, Ray Hansen, Johnnie Schneider and Grant McDaniel. 

Calvary Christian is loaded with confidence after finally getting past CCC. It was a marquee win for the Warriors baseball program, but Olsen doesn’t want it to be the last.

“That was a great win for our program and maybe down the road we’ll look back on it and realize that,’’ Olsen said. “But right now we’re focused on winning one more game.’’

Region finals
7 p.m. Friday
7A: East Lake at Melbourne
3A: Calvary Christian at Fort Myers Canterbury