Pasco, Palatka Play On

PALATKA - The new best-of-three format for the region finals gained instant fans in the Palatka Panthers on Friday.

Pasco's 6-2 win in the first game of the Class 4A-Region 2 doubleheader would have spelled the end of Palatka's season any other year.

Instead, the Panthers got to stick around long enough to take advantage of the revolving door that became Pasco's bullpen in Game 2 and win 10-5.

The split leads to a decisive Game 3 at 1 p.m. today at Palatka for a berth in the state final four.

Pasco went into the sixth inning of game one trailing 2-1 then scored five runs in the top half of the sixth to take the 6-2 lead.

Pasco's Jacob Schrader drove in two of those five runs with an RBI single to right field. Two runs were scored on walks and Dylan Giella had an RBI single to left field.

Josh Johnson had the RBI single in the fourth inning for Pasco.

In the second game, the Panthers started their offensive onslaught from the very start with eight runs in the first inning.

Aaron Brandt earned the win for Pasco and Henry Johnson recorded the save.

Pasco pitcher Dustin Brown started the second game then was replaced by Chris Dious after facing five batters and giving up two hits and two walks.

Dious faced three batters and two more runs were scored before he was hooked for Eric Dee.

Dee saw four batters and gave up three hits and a walk before he got pulled in favor of Matt Goudy.

Henry Johnson, Pasco's fifth pitcher in Game 2, started the second inning and lasted until Josh Johnson came during the sixth inning.

"There were routine plays and we didn't make them," Pasco coach Ricky Giles said. "We give up eight and what that tells me is that from the first inning to the seventh they only got two more runs and we did a pretty good job with that. So now we're just cutting everything down, cutting the mistakes down and going back."

Schrader led the Pirates with a solo home run and a double. He scored three runs and had an RBI.

Because Brown only faced four batters, Giles said he would get the start today and that Brandt would be available.