St. Johns Country Day completed its baseball mission in unforgettable fashion — a walk-off win for the first state championship in program history.
After two seasons of near-misses, the Spartans brought home a title with 4-3 win in eight innings over Miami Christian on Wednesday morning in the Class 2A title game in Fort Myers. It was a chaotic finish that ranks as one of the wildest wins in title game history, and third consecutive walk-off postseason win for St. Johns (25-6).
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Gabriel Gilliand struck out swinging, but the ball got past the catcher for a dropped third strike. Connor O’Steen came in from third and the celebration was on. That sequence was wild, and even more fitting considering who brought home the final run. O’Steen, a St. Johns Country Day student since kindergarten, had just three at-bats all season. He came on to pinch run for Hunter Rodgers after he got on after a bunt and a throwing error.
That sequence allowed pinch-hitter T.J. Sunderhaus, who opened the eighth with a hit, to move to third base. He was caught trying to score on a wild pitch. With one out and O’Steen on third, Gilliand chased a pitch low and outside for a third strike, but the ball escaped the catcher’s mitt and to the backstop. O’Steen had a clear path to the plate and there was never a doubt.
St. Johns had lost championship games in 2021 (5-3 to Out-of-Door Academy) and in 2023 (5-2 to Lakeland Christian). One of its best teams, the 2022 squad headlined by All-News4JAX player of the year Bradley Hodges, was stunned in the regional finals by North Florida Christian.
But this year was different. The Spartans stacked one unforgettable performance on top of another, including a two-run, walk-off homer by George Gilson to beat NFC in the regional final, and a two-run, walk-off double to beat
St. Johns (25-6), ranked No. 10 in the state by MaxPreps, did all of its damage in the bottom of the third. Kolt Myers drove in Kyle Boylston, and Seth Alford followed with a two-run single for a 3-0 lead. Miami Christian pushed one across in the fourth and scratched out the tying runs in the top of the seventh.