The Montverde Academy baseball team rallied late to earn a 9–6 victory over Mary Persons High School on Friday in the opening game of the Georgia/Florida Border War in Tifton, Georgia.

Montverde Academy trailed 6–4 entering the top of the seventh inning before erupting for five runs to complete the comeback victory. The Eagles loaded the bases with one out to set the stage for the decisive rally. Odanyx Ofarril delivered a clutch single that scored Carlos Feliciano to cut the deficit to 6–5. Max Irving followed with a key double, bringing home Brody Welborn and Michael Alicea to give Montverde Academy a 7–6 lead. Later in the inning, Irving and Pablo Borbely both crossed the plate on a Mary Persons error to extend the lead to three runs.

Earlier in the game, Mary Persons struck first with two runs in the bottom of the second inning to take an early 2–0 advantage. Montverde Academy answered with two runs in the fifth inning to tie the game at 2–2 and then added two more runs in the sixth to move ahead 4–2. Mary Persons responded with four runs in the bottom half of the sixth to regain the lead at 6–4 before Montverde Academy's decisive seventh-inning rally.

Irving led the Eagles offensively, finishing 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Andres Morillo went 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs, while Ofarril added two hits along with a run scored and an RBI.

On the mound, Joel Ortiz earned the win in relief, pitching 3.0 innings and allowing four runs on four hits.

Montverde Academy returns to action Saturday with a pair of games, facing Clay High School at 9:00 a.m. before taking on Ola High School at 12:00 p.m.