Toward the end of the District 3A-12 semifinal game Wednesday night at Bishop Verot High School, the sprinkler system came on.

For Island Coast, it was hilarious. It only delayed the inevitable for LaBelle.

The Gators had a right to smile. They got clutch hitting, great pitching and perfect defense as they blanked the Cowboys 10-0 to advance to Friday’s district championship game against Bishop Verot, which pummeled Gateway Charter 23-4 in the other semifinal. The win also assured the Gators a berth in next week’s regional playoffs.

The game was stopped after the top of the fifth on of the 10-run mercy rule.

“It was a good game. We hit the ball, pitched and played great defense,” Gators coach Clint Montgomery said.

The Gators (20-5) scratched two-out rallies in the first two innings before putting up two runs in the third, and six in the fourth to put the game away.

In the first inning, Cole Ondrejka reached on an error and Chase Vogelbach walked. Taylor Renegar singled off Cowboy starter Steven Jodrel to bring home Ondrejka to make it 1-0.

In the second, another two-out rally made it 2-0. Nelson Candelario bunted for a hit. Kameron Gellinger walked and F.T. Corso delivered an RBI single.

The Cowboys piled on after that. Vogelbach led off the third with a single and Taylor Renegar walked. After Jordan Moody bunted them over, catcher Randy Petito drove them both home with a single to make it 4-0.

Meanwhile, Gators starter Tanner Renegar had things under control. LaBelle (15-6) had runners at the corners with one out in the second and runners at second and third with one out in the fourth. Both times he recorded strikeouts for the second out, then the defense ended the threat.

“It wasn’t his best stuff. He’s been better, but he buckled down and got big strikeouts when a groundout scores the run,” Montgomery said. “That’s the sign of a true competitor.”

Renegar pitched five innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out five.

The Gators blew the game open in the fourth. Ondrejka scored two with an RBI single to make it 6-0. Four batters later, Petito walked with the bases loaded to make it 7-0. Pinch-hitter Ryne Manka effectively ended the game with a three-run triple.

“It’s always easier to play with the lead. It helped that they added on,” Montgomery said. “Those one-run rallies became multirun rallies. When you put up crooked numbers you break a team’s back.”

Vogelbach, Ondrejka and Candelario were a combined 4-for-8 with six RBI and three runs scored.

The Gators advanced to their second straight district championship game and the challenge of facing the powerful Vikings.

“We get a chance to face Hudson Boyd. We’ll see where we’re at when we see him up close,” Montgomery said.

LaBelle 000 00 – 0 3 1

Island Coast 112 6x – 10 9 0

W – Tanner Renegar L – Steven Jodrel

2B – Meador (L). 3B – Manka (IC).

Bishop Verot banged out 22 hits and plated 23 runs in erasing Gateway Charter. Four Vikings led the hit parade with three hits apiece.

Gateway 0 00 31 – 4 6 7

B. Verot(11)34 5x – 23 22 0

W – Schliecher. L – McGinnis.

2B – Garcia (BV), T. Dougherty (BV), Brothers (BV), Rivera (BV), Boyd (BV), Romano (BV) 2. 3B – Owens (GC).