Alayna Lowery helped Jay win its first state softball championship in program history a little less than two weeks ago.

Last Thursday night, Lowery was on the field at Pensacola State helping her East team defeat the West in the Pensacola Sports Association All-Star Game.

Hale Wood only wrestled two seasons at Pace, but he made the most of that time, earning an opportunity to continue his career at the next level.

Wood signed a national letter of intent with Nebraska Wesleyan last month and is thrilled about the chance to keep wrestling.

Troy Johnston has been a hitting machine as of late for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

Johnston had come through with a hit in 12 consecutive games before seeing that impressive streak end Sunday in a loss to the Mississippi Braves.

Several Santa Rosa County baseball and softball standouts will be playing in all-star games Thursday night at Pensacola State.

Among the all-star selections is Milton’s Ahlexus Lackey.

No words can describe the heartbreak the Pace softball players were experiencing Friday after a gut-wrenching end to a special season here in a 6A state semifinal at the Legends Way Ball Fields in Clermont.

They gathered on an empty playing field to listen to their coach, Enrique Eligio, speak during a post game pep talk, and even senior Haylee High, fighting back emotion, spoke for a few minutes about the end of the road for the Patriots in 2022.

While the work isn’t done, Milton head coach Kelly Gillis is pleased with what he’s seen from his football team this spring.

The Panthers wrapped up three weeks of spring practice Friday night with a game against rival Pace.

Broc Prarmer smashed a two-out triple to the wall in center in the seventh inning of Saturday’s 6A state championship game, the Pace senior clapping as he reached base, his teammates in the dugout fired up.

It appeared as if, once again, Pace was going to find a way to finish a rally. A team so accustomed to overcoming adversity was in a position to do it once again after Parmer’s hit drove in a run and cut the Doral Academy lead to one.

Not even Mother Nature could keep Pace’s baseball team from moving to the doorstep of its ultimate goal.

Battling through a nearly three-hour weather delay, the Patriots punched their ticket to Saturday’s 6A state title game with a 2-1 win Friday at Hammond Stadium, the spring training home of the Minnesota Twins.

One more step on the road to state is complete for the Pace softball team. The Patriots polished off Spruce Creek 4-0 Tuesday night to advance to a 6A regional championship game.

A common theme helped make the latest win possible for the sixth-ranked Patriots (24-4), that of course being another solid pitching effort from Jayden Heavener, a handful of big hits, including a home run by Shelby McKenzie, and heads up plays on defense.

Tanner Sauls finished off the latest big moment for this 2022 edition of Pace baseball with a strikeout.

In fact, he struck out the side in the seventh inning to help seal the deal on a 2-0 win over University and punch the Patriots’ ticket to the state final four.