North Bay Haven and Bozeman win big in high-scoring district tournament finales

FHSAA softball and baseball district tournaments have wrapped up, and Bay County has two district champions.

North Bay Haven softball won the program's sixth consecutive district title, and Bozeman won its second in a row and seventh in nine years. Both teams have punched their ticket into the regional quarterfinal.

Here are breakdowns of all district finals.

Playoff players to watch 18 Bay County softball and baseball players to watch this postseason

Track district results 24 Bay County athletes shine at district track and field meets to qualify for regionals

Softball

North Bay Haven 13, Walton 4

North Bay Haven came out strong, scoring eight runs in the first three innings. The Braves found a bit of success in the fifth inning, scoring four runs, but the Buccaneers responded with five runs in its half of the fifth.

County home run leader Kaylee Goodpaster hit her 11th home run, while Naveah Tarr hit her third of 2024. Addison Mallon pitched a complete game, throwing eight strikeouts.

North Bay Haven tore through the district tournament with a huge offensive output, outscoring opponents 26-6 in two games. The Buccaneers await seeding in the Class 3A regional tournament.

Baseball

Bozeman 9, Port St. Joe 4

Late-inning heroics and capitalizing on errors fueled Bucks to the Class 1A District 4 title. Bozeman scored two runs in the first inning but the Tiger Sharks tied the game with runs in the second and third. PSJ took a 4-2 lead at the top of the fifth inning but the Bucks answered back with Austin Purdie and Zac Flitcraft singles with the bases loaded, scoring four runs. Bozeman put a stamp on the victory with three more runs in the sixth inning.

The Bucks (23-2) are the top-ranked team in Class 1A and are expected to be the top seed in the regional quarterfinals.

South Walton 7, Arnold 1

South Walton bested top-seeded Arnold for the second time this season, fueled by a third-inning offensive eruption. The Seahawks scored two runs in the second inning and five in the third for what proved to be the decisive blow in the Class 4A District 1 final.

The Marlins' bats were cooled all night, only managing two hits. Eli Blair pitched four innings, throwing four strikeouts.

Pensacola Catholic 6, North Bay Haven 0

The Buccaneers totaled only three hits due to the stellar play of the Crusaders' defense and sophomore pitcher Parker Granse. The University of Miami commit pitched six innings and totaled nine strikeouts in the Class 3A District 1 final.

Pensacola Catholic (26-1) is the No. 1-ranked team in Florida and is on a 22-game winning streak.

Chiles 5, Mosley 1

The No. 1 seed in the Class 6A District 2 tournament took care of the Dolphins, scoring three runs in the first inning. A Jordan Martinez solo home run shot at the top of the fifth inning put Mosley within four but wasn't enough.

Banji Bamidele is a sports reporter for the Panama City News Herald. He can be reached at abamidele@gannett.com or through X, formerly known as Twitter, @AdebanjiBamide1 .

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: North Bay Haven and Bozeman win big in high-scoring district tournament finales