Windermere’s baseball team built a large early lead and held off a late Apopka rally Friday night, defeating the Blue Darters 12-9 in the Metro West Tournament championship game. 

The loss snapped Apopka’s seven-game winning streak and dropped the Blue Darters to 7-5, but head coach Scott Garland said the team’s fight late in the game showed the depth and determination within the roster. 

“We put some other guys in that didn’t get the opportunities usually, and they got in there,” Garland said. “They’re hungry, they’re after it, and they’ve been practicing just as hard as the guys that play every day, and they came in and executed and did the little things that they needed to do, and it was able to start a rally.” 

Windermere took control early against Apopka starter Jez Hamrick. A single and stolen base set up the Wolverines’ first run on a base hit through the left side. After a walk extended the inning, a ground ball to third led to a throwing error that rolled into the outfield, allowing two more runs to score. Another grounder brought home a fourth run before Hamrick ended the inning with a strikeout. 

Apopka answered with one in the bottom of the first. After the first two batters struck out, Ty Livingston lined a single up the middle and quickly stole second base. Hamrick followed with a drive into the right-center field gap that sailed over the outfielder’s head for an RBI double. The Blue Darters left two runners stranded and ended the first down 4-1. 

Windermere extended the lead in the second inning. After Hamrick recorded two outs, the Wolverines responded with a solo home run to left field. A pair of hits later in the inning brought home two more runs, pushing the lead to 7-1 before Apopka recorded the final out. 

The Wolverines added another run in the third inning against reliever Logan Page. After loading the bases with a single and two walks, Windermere pushed a run across on a base hit before Apopka escaped further damage with a double play. 

Windermere broke the game open in the fourth inning, capitalizing on a balk, a gap shot to left-center and several well-placed hits to stretch the lead to 12-1 before Camron Pennock entered in relief and struck out the final batter of the frame. 

From there, Apopka began to chip away. 

The Blue Darters started a comeback in the fifth inning. Andy Diaz singled to start the rally, while Rhonin Mitchell and Jorge Santiago later worked a walk to load the bases. Anthony Raymond delivered the key hit, driving a deep ball to center field that cleared the bases for a three-run double. 

After a 1-2-3 inning from Pennock, Apopka added another run in the sixth. Collin Van Fleet led off with a single and courtesy runner Livingston stole second. After Livingston advanced to third on a flyout, Nico Posluszny beat out a high chopper to shortstop to bring him home and make it 12-5. 

The Darters biggest push came in the closing frame. 

Raymond was hit by the first pitch of the inning, bringing Tyler Spaid to the plate. Spaid launched a towering home run deep over the left field wall to quickly cut the lead to 12-7. 

Apopka kept the pressure on as Van Fleet followed with a single and JD Edge, in as a courtesy runner, stole second. Andy Diaz lined a ball down the left-field line to score Edge and trim the deficit to four runs. 

Later in the inning, Aiden Rieli ripped a two-out, two-strike single up the middle to drive in another run and keep his 8-game hit streak intact. The hit pulled Apopka to within three at 12-9, but Windermere recorded the final out on a foul fly ball, ending the rally and securing the Metro West tournament championship. 

Garland said despite the loss, the team’s resilience and contributions from players throughout the lineup could pay off later in the season. 

“It’s a loss,” Garland said. “But the fact that we don’t give up, the fact that we continue to do the things that we need to do to be in baseball games, I think that’s going to help. I think these guys learning that they’re not the only guys on the team and that the other guys behind them are ready to step in, I think that’s going to fuel them. Moving forward, we’re going to play much more as a team and we’re going to play better baseball.” 

Apopka plays the loser of the Metro East final, at 7 p.m. Tuesday.