Saint Francis Baseball Pulls Away Late To Defeat Bronson

BRONSON – The Saint Francis Catholic Academy Wolves used a late offensive surge to defeat the Bronson Eagles 13-6 on Thursday night. A five-run seventh inning helped seal the victory for the Wolves. 

Bronson Starts Fast, but SFCA Battles Back

The game started in Bronson’s (2-6) favor when the Eagles jumped to a 3-1 lead after the first inning and added another run in the next frame. SFCA (5-3) responded with a run in the second on a wild pitch and another in the third off a Sawyer Williams RBI double to close the gap to 4-3.

Pitcher Jake Long worked through trouble early for SFCA, escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam by striking out three straight batters. He settled in after that, finishing the third with a perfect 1-2-3 inning.

Saint Francis Pitcher Jake Long gets three straight strikeouts after bases were loaded with no outs in the bottom of the 2nd. Saint Francis finds themselves down 2-4 to Bronson High School. pic.twitter.com/Y0WPVofDo2

— Tyler Brodie (@TTyler60231) March 7, 2025

The Wolves took their first lead in the fourth on two RBI singles from Andy Janelle and Nate Muir to make it 5-4. However, defensive miscues cost them, as Bronson capitalized in the bottom half to reclaim a 6-5 lead.

Freshman Andy Janelle and junior Nate Muir hit RBI singles in the fourth inning. St. Francis takes the lead 5-4. pic.twitter.com/eI0cmoT9yW

— Tyler Brodie (@TTyler60231) March 7, 2025

“Bronson played an incredible game tonight,” SFCA coach Ryan Brown said. “Their shortstop, Tristen O’Neal, made some incredible plays.”

Wolves Seal Win

After a quiet fifth inning, Saint Francis turned the game around in the sixth. Singles from Cyrus Fariborzian and Long set the stage for a three-run inning to give Saint Francis an 8-6 lead. The Wolves blew the game open in the seventh by erupting for five runs. Three players crossed the plate before Chris Durstine capped the inning with a two-RBI single.

“We didn’t play our best, but I’m proud of my guys for finding a way to win,” Brown said, 

Sander Williams’ lockdown relief performance was a game-changer. The junior entered in the sixth with an 8-6 lead and dominated by retiring Bronson without a hit. Over the final two frames, he struck out three of six batters to secure the win.

“Tonight was actually kind of what we call a ‘trap game,’” Brown admitted. “We came off our biggest win of the year and might’ve overlooked them, but they played great.”

SFCA racked up 15 hits on the night, led by Durstine (3-for-5, 2 RBI) and Colin Kuruppacherry (3-for-5, RBI). Muir also had a strong performance with two hits and five RBIs. Despite allowing early runs, Long and Williams combined to keep Bronson off the scoreboard over the final three innings.

Up Next

Saint Francis now turns its attention to another big challenge when it faces Santa Fe (4-6) in Alachua at 6 p.m. Friday. Bronson, meanwhile, will look to bounce back when it hosts Bell (3-4) on Monday at 7 p.m.

Had the pleasure of interviewing St. Francis head coach Ryan Brown after the game tonight. Great win! pic.twitter.com/88MbwkhgEn

— Tyler Brodie (@TTyler60231) March 7, 2025