The postseason has a way of being unpredictable. Paxton baseball is Exhibit A.
The Bobcats entered the week 11-9, ranked fourth in Region 1 and 15th in Class 1A after finishing as District 2 runner-up.
Central entered Tuesday night 21-3, ranked No. 1 in Region 1 and fourth in 1A after a District 1 title.
But come the postseason, rankings don't matter. Everyone is 0-0.
Embracing the David vs. Goliath mentality in Tuesday's Region 1-1A semifinal, Paxton scored six unanswered runs en route to a 7-5 win to advance to the Elite 8. There they'll face another underdog in third-seeded Jay (16-10), which routed second-seeded Holmes County 12-3 to reinforce the notion that seedings mean nothing.
It's the second straight year the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds have met for the region title and Paxton's second straight postseason meeting with Jay, who beat the Bobcats 9-6 (9 innings) last year in the Sweet 16. First pitch is at 7 p.m. Saturday, and the Bobcats will have some much-needed momentum based on Tuesday's finish.
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Down 5-1 after some spotty defense, the Bobcats pieced together some timely hits for a five-spot in the fourth inning. That's all that would be needed for Noah Morgan, who took over in relief in the third inning and struck out eight over five no-hit, scoreless innings. He'd allow just one base runner on a walk, all while watching his offense — five regulars with an average above .308 — rake from the fourth inning on.
At the core of the big hits was NWF State-bound Collin Stewart, who delivered a two-run double and a solo homer as part of a 2-for-4, three-RBI effort. Phillip Bearden and Morgan each drove in a run and scored twice for the Bobcats, who were coming off frustrating 4-0 district championship loss to Holmes County.
But Holmes County, along with Central, are eliminated. And two familiar rivals will get a rematch with a Final 4 spot on the line.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Paxton baseball embracing underdog role, one win from Final 4
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