MICHAEL PISTELLA Island Coast freshman Kameron Gellinger is mobbed by happy teammates after hitting a two-run single with two out in the seventh inning to lift the Gators to victory over LaBelle in the District 3A-12 semifinals. More photos are available online at: cu.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com. The Island Coast Gators have come from behind in the last inning before, but none were bigger than in Wednesday night's District 3A-12 Tournament semifinals.

Trailing 7-4 to start their last at-bat, the Gators put together a four-run rally capped by freshman Kameron Gellinger’s two-run, two-out bloop single down the left field line to beat LaBelle 8-7.

The win assures the Gators (16-9) of a regional playoff berth and a chance to play for the district championship Friday night against Bishop Verot, which defeated Gateway Charter 8-2 in Wednesday’s other semifinal game.

Dan Vogelbach had two hits for the Vikings while Frankie Romano, Nick Rivera and Paul Bretton all added doubles toward the team’s 11-hit total.

Sophomore Chase Vogelbach got the rally going with a leadoff single. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Nelson Candelaria’s screamer down the third base line scored all three runs, but the home plate umpire ruled the hit a foul ball, nullifying the runs and setting off a heated discussion. On his second chance, Candelaria drove in one run with a fielder’s choice ground ball.

A walk reloaded the bases for Taylor Renegar, who drew a run-scoring walk to cut the deficit to 7-6.

“Our strategy was to take pitches until they got a strike,” said Gators coach Clint Montgomery. “I gave Gellinger a take sign with the count 3-1. If it’s a strike the count is full and we can start the runners.”

Gellinger came through with is first career game-winning hit.

Ryne Manka was 3-for-3 with three RBI to lead the Gators. Renegar and Vogelbach contributed two hits apiece.

Renegar, the Gators’ starting pitcher, worked out of trouble in the second and third innings, surrendering just one run, but his stint on the mound was over after a leadoff walk in the fourth. In came Kyle Harding to put out the fire once again as he has done all season long.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Gators took a 2-1 lead with an unearned run. Manka singled and Candelaria sacrifice bunted pinch-runner Roy Mejia to second.

After Pablo Matos struck out, F.T. Corso bounced a high chopper toward second. Charging in on the infield grass, the ball was bobbled allowing Corso to reach safely. Mejia strayed just far enough around third base to draw a throw, which sailed down the left field line and Mejia raced home with the go-ahead run.

LaBelle grabbed a 4-2 lead in the fifth, but the Gators tied it up immediately. LaBelle extended it to 7-4 before the Gators’ final comeback.

Harding wound up pitching four innings, surrendering an uncharacteristic six runs on five hits, but Gellinger’s hit handed Harding his fifth win in relief this season.

LaBelle 010 031 2 – 7 7 3

Island Coast 010 120 4 – 8 12 1

W – Kyle Harding. L – McCardle.

2B – Alvarez (L), McCardle (L), Marino (L). HR – Garcia (L).

District 4A-11: The Mariner Tritons definitely have Riverdale’s number – three wins over the Raiders in April. Wednesday night at Terry Park, the third Mariner win was 4-1.

The win puts the Tritons (23-4) in the District 4A-11 Tournament championship game at Terry Park Friday night against Cypress Lake, which defeated top-seeded Estero 9-1 in the other semifinal.

Taylor Walker put the Tritons on the board in the third. He singled and later scored from third on a passed ball. Walter Cleary then clubbed a two-run homer for a 3-0 lead.

Mariner extended the lead to 4-0 in the sixth on Dan Cohill’s RBI double.

The Raiders (20-5) picked up their run on Jordan Turner’s solo home run in the seventh.

Jason Carmichael earned his sixth win with a complete-game effort, allowing six hits with 12 strikeouts.

Riverdale000 000 1 – 1 6 2

Mariner003 001 x – 4 6 1

W – Jason Carmichael. L – Gahafer.

2B – Jason Carmichael (M), Dan Cohill (M). HR – Walter Cleary (M), Turner (R).