Mother Nature threw a curveball, but Northeast Florida's baseball teams swung right back, delivering a rare Sunday showdown in the FHSAA regional semifinals. Two squads from the area punched their tickets to the next round, proving that even an unexpected day off can't stop a hot streak.

Clay's pitching staff is on an absolute tear. In Game 2 of the Region 1-4A series, Ethan Mathis took the mound and delivered a masterclass, firing a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts to lead the Blue Devils past Escambia 8-1. The game got the green light from the FHSAA after Saturday's washout, and Clay made every inning count. This performance follows a combined one-hit shutout by Rylan McMahan and Braden Phenneger in Game 1 (a 5-0 win) and McMahan's no-hitter in the regional first round. Over three playoff games, Clay's arms have surrendered just two hits total. That's dominance.

Offensively, Tyler Gunsaulus drove in three runs, and the Blue Devils plated three in both the second and fourth innings to pull away. Clayton Sanders broke up the no-hitter bid with a double in the sixth, but by then, Clay was in control. Next up: a regional final series against top-seeded Choctawhatchee on May 8 and 9.

Over in Fernandina Beach, Suwannee showed its own resilience. After splitting a Friday doubleheader—winning 12-0 behind Hampton Newman's three RBI and Kyler Watson's three-hitter, then falling 4-3 in Game 2—the Bulldogs needed a Sunday hero. They found one in pitcher Gabe Garcia, who went the distance in a 5-1 win. Garcia scattered seven hits, drove in a run during a two-run first inning, and escaped two bases-loaded jams in the fourth and fifth with a double play and a pop-up. It was a gritty, gut-check performance that kept Suwannee's season alive.

The Bulldogs (19-12) now head on the road to face nationally-ranked South Walton. With momentum on their side, they'll need every ounce of that Sunday spirit to keep marching forward.