Port St. John and Merritt Island Came out Victorious
District 22 All‑Star Baseball Showdown
Mid‑night lights, sweaty slugger hands, and the sweet smell of popcorn—yes, the 8/9/10 baseball division went into full‑tilt Wednesday night at Port St. John’s Space Coast Communities Sports Complex. The little league champs were ready to give the big league a run for its money.
Field 1: Mims LL vs. Port St. John LL
- Opening act (1st inning): Julius Robinson slipped into first on an error, then stole the show with a single by Mason Partridge—victory lane, baby!
- Mims rally (3rd‑4th): The Mims guys answered with three runs in the 3rd (Browning, Primmer, Thorne) and then kept the momentum: Jeffery Huff, Luke Minnear, and Giani Avila (who stole a run on a passed ball after an RBI triple).
- Half‑time heroics (4th‑5th): Port Sam scored again with Coakley and Partridge, but Mims had a 6‑3 advantage going into the 5th. Lucas Reechy, Joe Sumne, and Kaiden Kish followed up with runs, turning the game into a 9‑4 runaway.
- Walk‑off finish (6th): Mims went baseball‑silent over the top of the 6th, while Port St. John took advantage of 4 walks, a hit batter, and several singles, punctuated by a runaway by Ace Ellershaw. So the score chalked up to 10‑9 for a thrilling win.
Field 2: Indian River City LL vs. Merritt Island All‑Stars
- Kick‑off (1st): The CRS L‑League cracked open the scoreboard with Bryson English, Waylon Mack‑Weller, and Caiden O’Connor. Merritt Island’s boys dipped back with Jackson Wartell, Cooper Milton, Solomon Connel and Henry Deranjo.
- Second‑inning surge: Wartell and Milton kept the charge, and a comeback attempt by Damien Casillas pulled it close—scores: 3‑7 after two sets.
- Third‑inning fireworks: An italic walk‑off‑style hit by Jaxon Cotten wadded the tally to 10‑6; Merritt Island stayed ahead with Sammy Day and Hudson Esposito.
- Mid‑game grind: Rylan Wyatt sparked an RBI for Indian River City, but Merritt Island’s Casillas, Esposito (twice) and Day pushed the lead to 13‑6 heading into the fifth. A big fall‑through from the Indians came in the sixth, but it was a mere 13‑7 victory for Merritt Island.
Both fields gave us a touch of pride, hysteria, and a whole lot of baseball–flavored action—an evening that was sure to leave the players smiling and the parents bragging for weeks.