The “cardiac kids” have done it again.
After trailing, 2-1, for much of Tuesday’s Class 7A championship game, the Durant Cougars mounted an impressive comeback in the sixth inning to top Osceola, 5-3, and advance to the state championships in Fort Myers.
The Kowboys scored two quick runs to start the game, and Durant got on the board one inning later thanks to a Cesar Caro RBI single. From then until the sixth inning, though, it was nothing but bad luck for the Cougar offense. Durant had no problem getting men on base – even loading them up in the third – but had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard.
Solid pitching from Bryce Gainer kept Osceola from making any more noise, though, and Durant was finally able to make something happen in the sixth to take the load off of the two hurlers. A leadoff home run from Harrison Theocharakis got the home crowd as electric as the lightning bolts that dominated the skyline, and the Cougars were able to cycle through the batting order while adding three runs. Justin Nardello, Scolaro and Cade Kelley each scored after a Jake Sullivan sacrifice fly and a Zach Barfield RBI single, and the inning ended after Jonathan Hermann and Theocharakis struck out consecutively.
Scolaro wasn’t charged with Osceola’s run in the final frame, as it came on a fielding error out in left, and he was able to get the final outs with relative ease.
It marks the second time in three years that Durant has made it to states, and the first time in seven that head coach Butch Valdes was successfully hit with an orange Gatorade bath.
