The beat goes on for the Bishop Kenny baseball team.
Another game with excellent pitching, a hallmark during its playoff run, delivered the Crusaders a 4-1 win over Tampa Jefferson in the Class 4A state semifinals on Friday at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.
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Kenny will play in its first state championship game since 2008 on Saturday at 5 p.m. against either Miami Sunset or North Marion. For Tommy Edwards, it’s his second trip as head coach to the final. Nearly 15 years ago to the day — May 17, 2008 — Edwards, then in his third season leading Kenny, beat Fort Myers Riverdale 9-3 for the second state championship in Crusaders history.
Getting a third would be special for Edwards and the Crusaders. Kenny started out 1-4, including a 2-0 loss to final four team North Marion. Once things clicked, they clicked. Pitching has been spectacular in the postseason and that continued on Friday.
Jack Newman continued a torrid stretch for Crusaders hurlers with a complete game two-hitter. Previously, Ben Monger had fired 16.1 straight innings of no-hit ball down the stretch. Newman was responsible for the other win, another two-hit game, in a win on the road at No. 1 seed South Walton.
Trey Seeker had two of Kenny’s six hits and drove in a pair of runs. The Crusaders pushed a run across in the bottom of the second and three more over in the fourth, giving Newman a 4-0 lead. He never came close to letting that go.