Douglas’ 12th Straight District Title A Hard-Fought Affair

The Douglas Eagles baseball team has been so dominate over the past four years, that not many people understand that their local dominance started way before their current state title run.

The Eagles, had won 11 straight district titles coming into their match up with Western in this year’s finals.

What they were not expecting Wednesday, was the most challenging title game they have faced in those 12 years, but that is just what the Wildcats handed them, in a 1-0 Douglas win.

“I think both teams competed really well,” said Eagles Manager Todd Fitz-Gerald. “Pitching was really good on both sides, and we were fortunate to come away with the one run we needed, before we held on to win the game.”

That pitching match up consisted of Eagles ace Gio Rojas, and Western’s Mason McGeehan. The two lefties were spectacular. Rojas threw six innings of shutout baseball, and McGeehan went 4.2, allowing only one run.

The lone run of the game came across in the fourth when Brody Gargiulo scored on a passed ball.

That run held up, as Breylann Courtney relieved Rojas to start the seventh, and shut down the Wildcats in order after a lead-off walk.

Fitz-Gerald appreciated the level of play in the district final.

“It is good for high school baseball when these type of competitive games are played. It was a good start to our playoff run.”

The district title was the 12th straight for Douglas, and to say that the Eagles have been dominant in these title games, would be an understatement. Douglas has won the 12 games by a combined 79-18 score.

The last six district title wins have been even more impressive, with Douglas winning 53-5 over those games, with three of them being ten-run rule victories.

Even with the loss, Western will advance to the regional playoffs next week, where they will learn their opponent Friday.

Douglas, will begin their four-time defense of the 7A state crown, and will be heavily favored to again find their way to Fort Myers.

With the new two-out-of-three regional playoff format, it has become even less likely that a team can upset the Eagles over the next three weeks, but Western’s performance Wednesday, could serve as a wake-up call that nothing can be taken for granted.

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