REGIONAL FINAL: Sebring Takes Game 1

FORT MYERS - The Sebring baseball team moved one step closer to a return trip to the state final four on Friday night.

Senior Adam Simmons struck out four in a gutsy complete-game performance to lead the Blue Streaks to a 3-2 victory over Riverdale in the opening game of a Class 4A regional final series at Riverdale High School.

Game 2 of the series was also played on Friday night, though results were not available as of press time. See highlandstoday.com/sports for results and an inning-by-inning web log of both games.

If necessary, Game 3 will be played at 1 p.m. today at Riverdale High School.

After Sebring took a 3-1 lead in the top of the seventh via four walks and a single, but the Raiders jumped right back into the contest after a solo home run by Corey Williams and a single by Kyle Schiegner. Simmons, however, picked off Schiegner at first and struck out the final batter to preserve the victory and give Sebring the 1-0 edge in the three-game series.

Sebring jumped ahead in the top of the third inning when senior first-baseman Tony Vazquez shattered his bat with an RBI single down the right-field line that scored Kevin Welborn. The celebration was short-lived, however, as centerfielder Kyle Long was called out at home plate after a collision with Riverdale catcher Nick Stewart.

The plate umpire ruled the collision was intentional and ejected Long (meaning he was automatically suspended for the second game of the series), and the senior was in visible pain going to the dugout. Long was taken to Florida Hospital in Sebring for an MRI following the game and is likely out for the rest of the series, possibly ending his season.

Riverdale tied the game at one in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double by pitcher Ryan McChesney, but with runners on second and third with one out, Simmons got out the final two batters to keep the score knotted at one.