Cocoa Beach High School’s baseball team eliminated Lake Highland Prep 8-2 in the Class 2A state tournament on April 25 at Space Coast Stadium. The game, played before a crowd of over 1,200 fans, saw Cocoa Beach capitalize on defensive errors and a strong pitching performance to secure the victory. Kayden Dougherty led the way for the Warriors, hitting a double in the third inning and later celebrating the final out with teammates after a diving catch by Hayden Wilson in the seventh.
The game’s turning point came in the fifth inning when Cocoa Beach’s Cooper Janke struck out three consecutive batters, including Lake Highland Prep’s star hitter Manny Socarras. Janke, who pitched six innings and allowed just two runs, said afterward the team focused on executing their game plan. “We knew their lineup was tough, but we stuck to our defense,” he said. Earlier in the game, Cocoa Beach’s Anthony Ceruti collided with Lake Highland catcher Parker Giuliani while trying to steal second, a play that drew gasps from the crowd but kept the Warriors’ momentum.
Lake Highland Prep struggled with errors, including a dropped fly ball by Silas Dixon in the fourth inning that allowed two runs to score. Aiden Khalil, Lake Highland’s shortstop, chased a line drive in the sixth but failed to field it, leading to another Cocoa Beach run. The Tigers, who entered the game with a 20-5 record, fell to 20-6 and will now face Satellite High School in the next round.
Cocoa Beach coach Mark Thompson praised his team’s resilience. “We’ve been working on this all season,” he said. “Today, every play counted.” The Warriors, who improved to 22-4, will play Satellite High School at 4 p.m. Friday at the same venue. The win marks Cocoa Beach’s first state tournament victory since 2021 and sets up a potential showdown with Seminole Ridge in the semifinals if they win their next game.