The value of pitching and defense in baseball was made very evident in Tuesday’s four region championship games involving area teams.

Altogether, the four winning teams surrendered a total of three runs while punching their tickets to state tournament play in Fort Myers next week.

South Sumter (20-6) notched its fourth shutout in five playoff victories to advance to a 4A semifinal against Jacksonville Trinity Christian (22-8) on Monday at 7 p.m. at JetBlue Park.

The other three region titlists allowed one run apiece.

Timber Creek (19-10) and Orange City University (17-13), Cinderella teams that claimed region titles after dropping district finals, will meet in an 8A semifinal at 7 p.m. next Wednesday. Neither of those clubs were ranked in the final PrepZone 8A state top 10, but they’re in the final four.

Oviedo (23-5), a perfect 5-0 in the postseason, needs the early wakeup call. The Lions will play Plant City Durant (23-6) at 10 a.m. on Wednesday in a 7A semifinal.

Championship games are scheduled for the day after semifinals.

Aside from their district defeats, Timber Creek has allowed just four runs through 30 innings in four playoff wins; and University has yielded four scores over 35 innings in five playoff victories.

Timber Creek is riding its southpaw tandem of senior Andrew Perez, and junior Michael D’Emo, who pitched the first four innings of Tuesday’s 4-1 road win over Sarasota Riverview. Perez came on to finish the job. 

Perez has a 0.00 playoff ERA with three wins and a save. He he has struck out 33 in 19 innings pitched in that span.

Chuck Antcazak, coach of Sarasota Riverview (15-14), described Timber Creek as “well coached and fundamentally sound.”

Every pitch thrown for University in the three region games was by sophomore lefty Logan Allen. He has four consecutive complete game playoff victories with a 0.25 ERA for that stretch.

Oviedo also yielded only four runs in its five games and 35 innings of district tournament and region series play.

South Sumter has  been the stingiest of all, allowing three runs in 35 postseason innings.