Choctaw is heading back to the Sweet 16.
- The Indians broke open a scoreless pitchers’ duel with a six-run outburst and never looked back, blanking Baker County 9-0 on Friday night to advance in the Class 5A state baseball playoffs.
“Back to back Sweet 16s for the boys is pretty awesome,” Choctaw Head Coach David Weber said. “We were competitive, played clean defense and made some big plays out there.”
Through four innings, Choctaw’s Trevor Camden and Baker County’s Nicholas Chowaniec matched each other pitch for pitch in a scoreless duel.
- The deadlock broke when Jordan Figueroa and Isaiah Rohn singled and John Brown drew a walk to load the bases. Maddox Gentry followed with a single that scored both Rohn and Figueroa, opening the floodgates.
Blake Peters delivered the play of the game moments later, launching a three-run shot to left field for the first home run of his career and a 5-0 Choctaw lead.
“That broke it wide open,” Weber said. “Tonight, Blake got to see a little success that he deserves.”
Peters described the moment from his perspective at the plate.
- “It was crazy. I thought it was going to hit the top of the pole, but I was lucky with the wind. It was just flying, and I was like, ‘man, let’s go,'” Peters said.
Baker County turned to Nate Welch in relief after a single by Jack Marracco, but Camden made it a 7-0 game with a two-run blast to left that also scored Marracco.
“I hit it straight barrel. I saw it and it was straight out of here,” Camden said.
Choctaw added insurance on a Carter Marracco sacrifice fly that scored Gentry and a Seth Young RBI single that brought home Peters to set the 9-0 final.
The Indians will host St. Augustine in the Sweet 16, a rematch of last year’s first-round meeting. St. Augustine advanced with a 10-6 win over Arnold on Friday.
- “We played them last year, we’re coming back into it. We’ll have to battle and play every night to get after it, and see how it goes,” Weber said.
“We’re coming back, just like last year,” Peters added.
Camden kept it simple.
“Just win, win, win. That’s all we’re trying to do.”
