Upset win in district semis earns Ocoee baseball its first playoff berth -- Observer Preps

CLERMONT Add a couple more achievements in a year of firsts for the Ocoee High Athletics Department.

The Ocoee Knights baseball team, the No. 4 seed in the District 8A-3 Tournament, upset top-seeded East Ridge 3-1 in the district semifinals Tuesday evening.

The victory means that the Knights (19-7) will play for a district title on Thursday evening for the first time in the modern program's history. It also means that, win or lose on Thursday, Ocoee will make its first appearance in the state playoffs since the modern Ocoee High opened in 2005.

"It means so much for the program, for our community — it means so much for our school, to be honest with you," head coach Bobby Brewer said. "The last four years, we've been knocking on the door."

Sophomore Ethan Long got the start for the Knights and pitched a complete game, allowing just one run on a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Long allowed just four hits, total, on the game.

"Last time I faced them, I threw good, too, so I was just trying to do the same thing," Long said. "Get all my pitches working and make sure I can locate them."

The one run Long did allow was the first run of the game, but Ocoee responded in the top of the fifth when Colby Karr drove in a run to tie the game. 

Then, in the top of the sixth inning, Bubba Sangster hit a ball he will not soon forget — launching a home run over the left field wall that also brought in Ryan Brewer, who had singled to leadoff the inning.

Afterward, the Knights' veteran coach praised the team effort that secured the win.

"We got the big knock from Bubba and Ethan Long just pitched his butt off," Brewer said. "We had a couple big plays in the infield — Ryan (Brewer) made a play at shortstop that was huge — and Colby got the big hit to get us going. It was just a combination of so many players. It wasn't just one guy."

Ocoee will play Ocala's Forest High at 7 p.m. Thursday in the district final at East Ridge. The winner will secure home field advantage in the regional quarterfinals next week. The teams split their two meetings earlier in the season.

Contact Steven Ryzewski at [email protected].