Academy of the Holy Names went way past expectations in Region title play on Friday night, April 27, in its win at home over Arcadia DeSoto County, 10-6, in the Class 4A-Region 3 semifinals.

Scoring five runs in the third inning, the intrepid team moved ahead of DeSoto and continued to lead throughout the game.  Patti McDonald of TBO reported Jaguars coach Don Baron’s reaction to its third inning rally. “We work hard all the time but we also understand that we just have to remain composed as far as the bigger (playoff) games go.”

The Jags will hostthe winner of the other Class 4a/Region 3 semi-final winner next Tuesday, May 1, at 7 pm, for the Region title and their final shot at winning a berth at States.

Earlier in the week, with a home-run by Jackie Moreda and a powerhouse of hitters at Region Quarter-Finals, Academy softball shut out Mulberry at Region Quarter-Finals on Tuesday, April 24. The girls warmed up a large crowd on an unseasonably cool evening. Cheers could be heard across MacDill with each successful play by the Jaguars.

The week before, the softball team defeated Berkeley Prep 7 to 2 to earn the district title for the second straight year. The Jaguars had a power boost in the bottom of the third inning when the team scored six runs, with four runs coming off senior Christina Lodato’s grand slam.