By Mike Maerz
Director of Florida Operations/Area Scout

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Clearwater, FL—In the 4A regional finals, The First Academy Royals visited the top-ranked Calvary Christian Warriors in a tightly contested matchup that featured the home Warriors coming away with a 3-2 victory after a well-executed bunt single scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth. With the win, the Warriors continued their undefeated streak and moved to 28-0.

2019 LHP Nolan Hudi (Calvary Christian HS, FL) started for the home Warriors and showed much of the same pitchability and poise he’s demonstrated throughout the entire season. The Texas Christian recruit displayed a fastball that mostly sat in the 84-86 mph range along with a 73-74 mph changeup that showed sink and a 71-72 mph curveball. Hudi worked with a quick pace and threw numerous first pitch strikes.

On the other side, 2019 RHP Joseph Charles (The First Academy, FL) started for the Royals and came out firing in the first inning as his fastball sat 90-93 mph with life, touching 94 twice along with a 76-78 mph slider and an 83-84 mph change up he flashed a couple times. The North Carolina recruit settled in at 88-91 the rest of the way, touching an occasional 92 when he reached back and needed a strike.

2018 OF Eric Kennedy (Calvary Christian, FL) got the home Warriors on the board with an RBI double in the bottom of the second as he drove a ball deep into center field to put them up 1-0. The First Academy answered with a run of their own to tie things up in the fourth as an infield single plated a runner with two outs, making the score 1-1.

With the score still deadlocked at 1-1, 2018 1B Cavan Ingram (Calvary Christian HS, FL) stepped to the plate in the bottom of the fifth and delivered a key RBI double down the left field line to give the Warriors a 2-1 lead.  In the top of the sixth, the First Academy answered again when a hit by pitch with the bases loaded allowed the tying run to score, pushing it to 2-2.

After the first two Warriors batters reached base in the bottom of the sixth, 2017 3B/OF Marco Benedettini (Calvary Christian HS, FL) laid down a bunt single to score the runner from third, giving the Warriors a 3-2 lead.

2017 RHP/SS Graham Hoffman (Calvary Christian HS, FL) trotted out for the seventh to close it out and made quick work of The First Academy hitters as his fastball sat 90-93 mph with life along with a 77-79 mph slider that showed depth. The South Florida recruit got the final batter to ground out weakly to the second baseman, preserving a 3-2 win for the Warriors to send them to the next round.