South Walton executed a perfect suicide squeeze to win the high school baseball championship in the state of Florida. However, the Seahawks would not have been in position to attempt the daring feat if not for a controversial hit by pitch that put the game-winning run on base.
It could’ve gone either way!
The high school baseball umpires ruled in favor of the eventual victors. The ruling completely changed the outlook for the bottom of the seventh inning, which ultimately led to one of the most exciting moments of the year.
South Walton defeated North Broward.
South Walton High School is located in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Established in 2002, it enrolls approximately 1,100 students in Grades 9-12 in one of the fastest-growing districts in the state. North Broward Preparatory School was founded in 1957. Located in Coconut Creek, the private boarding and day school serves approximately 2,000 students in Grades 9-12.
The Seahawks and the Eagles are both assigned to the 3A level of FHSAA competition. South Walton ranks as the No. 2 team in the state and No. 9 team in the country. North Broward ranks No. 14 in Florida and No. 44 in the United States. They are two of the most dominant high school baseball programs in the country.
It was a highly-anticipated powerhouse matchup between these two teams in the Florida Class 3A championship game on Thursday. The Eagles entered at 25-7. The Seahawks entered at 29-4.
South Walton took a 5-2 lead into the top of the seventh inning. High school baseball games are only seven innings long so it needed just three outs to secure the title. And then it got dicey.
North Broward rattled off four-straight singles to plate three runs and put the go-ahead run at first. With no outs and one runner on base, the Seahawks went to their closer. The Eagles were able to the bases on a pair of walks but they could not knock in the run. On to the bottom of the seventh.
In the end, five batters later, South Walton proved victorious by a final score of 6-5.
Believe it or not, this was the Seahawks’ first state championship in program history. They pulled it off in incredible fashion.
A walk-off suicide squeeze started with a hit by pitch.
South Walton loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning with only one out. Head coach Nick Borthwick decided to make a gusty call. He sent his runner on third base and called upon Hudson Quinn to lay down a perfect bunt. Quinn did exactly that.
The bunt dribbled right between the North Broward pitcher and the third baseman. As the Eagles tried to field the ball, the runner came barreling down the third baseline to score the game-winning run. The Seahawks executed a perfect suicide squeeze to win the state championship. It was electric.
FINAL | South Walton 6, North Broward Prep 5
— Prep Baseball Florida (@PrepBaseballFL) May 15, 2026
South Walton executes the suicide squeeze and wins the 3A State Championship in walk-off fashion. @SWseahawks | @FHSAA pic.twitter.com/L6UNeqDXoT
Here is how it looked on the broadcast:
One of the most unbelievable endings to a state championship game EVER!@SWseahawks calls the suicide squeeze and executes to perfection to win their first state championship in a 6-5 instant classic!@FHSAA @NFHSNetwork pic.twitter.com/IrQfYqi1bX
— Ryan Murphy (@mtxemurph) May 15, 2026
Although it was cool to see a suicide squeeze work in such a high-stakes situation, the first at-bat of the bottom of the seventh could’ve ruined those plans. Declan Fowler, who scored the winning run from third, was awarded first base on a hit by pitch. The umpire ruled that the ball grazed his foot.
In-person spectators were not so sure that it did. Some Class 3A baseball fans don’t think the ball ever made contact with Fowler’s cleat.
If the ball did not hit his cleat and he was not awarded with a free base on a hit-by-pitch, the game might’ve gone differently. Fowler was the winning run on third base. If he had gotten out instead of hit by a pitch, South Walton would’ve had two outs with runners on first and second instead of one out with runners on every base. A suicide squeeze wouldn’t have been possible.