Merritt Island High School routed Jensen Beach 10-1 in the Class 4A baseball tournament on April 24 at the school’s stadium, securing a decisive victory in the regional bracket. The game, played before a sparse crowd, saw Merritt Island’s bats come alive early and often, with three players hitting home runs to fuel the lopsided score.
The Bucs (12-5) struck first in the bottom of the first inning when Wesley Lawrence launched a two-run homer over the left-field fence, silencing Jensen Beach’s starting pitcher immediately. The momentum only grew in the third when Ryder Widick followed with a solo shot, and Ty Brandes added another solo blast in the fifth. Merritt Island’s defense held firm behind pitcher Liam Miller, who struck out seven batters and allowed just four hits.
Jensen Beach (7-8) managed only one run in the top of the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Patrick Carroll, but the rest of the game was a struggle against Merritt Island’s aggressive approach at the plate. The Bucs added two more runs in the sixth on a pair of singles and a throwing error, stretching their lead to 8-1 before the game mercifully ended in the seventh due to the mercy rule.
Merritt Island coach John Carter praised his team’s focus after the game. “We’ve been working on situational hitting all season, and today it all came together,” he said. The victory moves the Bucs into the next round of the tournament, where they’ll face Satellite High School on April 28 at the Space Coast Complex.
For Jensen Beach, the loss marks the end of their tournament run. Head coach Mark Thompson said his team struggled to adjust to Merritt Island’s speed on the bases. “We knew they were a strong team, but we didn’t execute when it mattered most,” he said. The teams are scheduled to meet again in a regular-season game on May 12 at Jensen Beach High School.