ECS softball punches ticket to Class 2A final with shutout win over Academy at the Lakes
Zoe Yzaguirre and Makayla Jakubuwski continued to do what they had all season.
Keep teams off the board and put runs on the board, respectively.
Yzaguirre threw a complete-game no-hitter, allowing only a leadoff walk before setting down the next 21 Academy at the Lakes batters, and Jakubuwski drove in three runs and scored another to lift ECS to a 5-0 Class 2A state semifinal win.
State Preview: Years in the making, Evangelical Christian softball ready to take next step as state champions
The Sentinels (27-2) will take on University Christian in a rematch of last season's final on Wednesday at 4 p.m. for the Class 2A crown. Last season, ECS lost 3-2 in the state title game to University Christian, which beat John Carroll 4-1 in Tuesday's other semifinal.
Jakubuwski gave ECS the only run it would need in the bottom of the first, singling home Mackenzie Thompson from second base for a 1-0 lead.
ECS broke the game open in the third with three runs. Jakubuwski (team-high 44 RBI) tripled off the center-field wall to score Thompson and Kylie Shaw. An error by the shortstop off a ball hit by Kee Green scored Jakubuwski. Green then stole second and third. With two outs, Karsyn Mootz walked and stole second but ECS could not add to its lead.
That was more than enough though as Lakes put the first runner of the game on with a walk, only Yzaguirre's 11th walk of the season, but she was thrown out at second by catcher Taylor Davison. The next 21 batters were set down in order by Yzaguirre, who recorded 12 strikeouts, as ECS picked up its 15th shutout of the season and sixth out of their last seven games.
ECS did score one more time in the fifth as Green singled and then stole second, her third steal of the game. The throw down got away and Green raced to third on the error and a bad throw to third allowed her to come all the way around to score.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Evangelical Christian softball wins Class 2A semifinal with shutout of Academy at the Lakes
