GREEN COVE SPRINGS - Clay High's baseball used a little "McCool Magic" to counter an early lead by Fleming Island with a sixth-inning triple-double barrage from Michael Gunson, Cole Carnell and Easton McMahan to get a go-ahead run and then a winner in a thrilling 7-6 game Friday night at Clay High School.

McMahan's double followed Gunson's double, then a Carnell double that scored two runs to tie the game at 6-6 before McMahan blasted a two-bagger for the game-winner.
"We've never lost a McCool Pink Out game," said Clay coach Josh Persinger, noting that former Clay teacher Claire McCool, a math teacher and huge Blue Devil sports fan, was honored on the annual Pink Game, now giving Clay seven years of wins. "These guys know a little bit about her, but this is the type of game that maybe reminds the school about her love of Clay High sports."
Persinger referenced Claire McCool who retired from teaching in 2016 but passed away from breast cancer in 2017. Clay teacher Julie Breindel-Hill opened up the game with words about McCool who had a unique connection with World and Olympic swim champion Caeleb Dressel, a Clay High graduate, who swims with a blue bandana worn by McCool near his starting block.
For the baseball game, Clay opened hard and fast with a two-run homer by Merrick Rapoza blasting the Blue Devils to a first-inning 4-0 lead.
With McMahan on the mound for Clay, Fleming Island retaliated quickly with Chris Reali smashing a double and Ryan Kiley walking to start the Golden Eagles' at-bats, but McMahan survived with two strikeouts to squelch the scoring attempt.
McMahan would struggle two innings later with Fleming Island scoring off a barrage of singles; Josh Murray, Upton, Ben Abram, Reali and walks to battle back to 4-3.
Fleming Island coach Mike Martino, who returned from a strong double header weekend at 6A region semifinalist Tallahassee Leon; two wins, 10-4, 3-2, before a two-game slide to 3A region semifinalist Yulee, 2A runnerup last year St. Johns Country Day School, and now Clay, a 5A region finalist last year.
"I've said from the start that this is a young team and we will be facing top teams all season," said Martino. "They want to win and play hard, but it's a little bit more that we have to do as coaches to get them into the championship mode. Games like this hurt, but we will learn and coach and we'll get a few of these."
Martino would get another flurry of runs from his team with three more coming in the fifth as Aaron Hawkins controlled the Clay bats after taking the mound from starter Keegan Leckband.
With Persinger putting Rylan McMahan on the mound in the fifth, Fleming Island methodically used three walks and a two-run single from Murray to take a 6-4 lead.
Clay got bases loaded fifth but failed to score with Hawkins getting a pop-fly third out before the explosive sixth inning for the Blue Devils.
For the final inning, Persinger finished with relief pitcher Preston Lowrance stifling three batters.