St. Johns Country Day came up one win short of a storybook season.
The Spartans suffered a bitter finish to their sterling year, a 5-3 loss to Out-of-Door Academy in the Class 2A state championship game on Thursday afternoon in Fort Myers.
St. Johns, ranked fifth in the state by MaxPreps, saw its 13-game winning streak end in its title game debut. Its only loss to a 2A team this season came in the finale.
Out-of-Door (24-3) was ranked 40th in the state by MaxPreps.
The Thunder flipped things between the fourth and fifth.
Seven-hole hitter Aidan Marino swatted a two-run homer to put Out-of-Door up 4-2. When the Spartans trimmed that in the fifth, Nolan Lewellen hit a solo shot in the bottom of that inning for the buffer.
Tyler Colditz came on in relief and retired the final seven Spartans hitters to preserve the upset victory for the Thunder.
Jordan Taylor went 3 for 4 for St. Johns and struck out all three batters that he faced in one inning of perfect relief. Starter Bradley Hodges struck out seven and scattered six hits across five innings. Three runs were earned.
St. Johns will have a stout roster coming back, including Taylor, semifinal game winner Finn Howell and Hodges.