PHOTOS: Ocoee claims first district title with 7-6 walkoff win against Lake Minneola | Observer Preps

Big games require big moments, and junior Orlando Perez answered with his own big moment when he hit a ball deep enough to bring in Timmy Sides for the winning run in the Knights' 7-6 win over Lake Minneola in the Class 8A, District 3 title game.

Through the first five innings the Knights (15-11) dominated, as they went up 5-0 thanks to two solo bombs for Charles Kwarteng in the second and fourth innings. The fourth inning would prove to be the big inning when Perez added in a run on an RBI-single, and a wild throw would bring in two more runs to make it 5-0 Knights.

Pitcher Joseph Kennedy would handle the Hawks (18-9) through five, before being replaced in the sixth inning after giving up two singles, an RBI-double and a walk. From there the Hawks would rally for four runs total, making it 5-4 going into the Knights' half of the sixth.

The Knights would get an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 6-4.

In the top of the seventh, the Hawks would rally once again. After loading the bases, back-to-back hit batters tied the game up at 6-6, before the Knights were finally able to get out of the jam.

What followed next was clutch plate discipline and the sac fly from Perez to seal the dramatic matchup and clench the Knights their first ever district title in baseball. 

Up next is Ocoee's second ever state playoff game, which will see the Knights host Wiregrass Ranch on Wednesday, May 15, at 7 p.m.