Eustis wins with one hit in FHSAA softball state semifinal; Montverde in 3A final
Eustis was held without a hit until its final at-bat Wednesday afternoon in a FHSAA Class 4A softball state semifinal in Clermont.
Katie Short hit a hard two-out single off the shortstop’s glove to score Kaylen Bublitz from second base and give the Panthers (25-2) a 2-1 walkoff win vs. LaBelle (24-7) at the Legends Way Ballfields.
Eustis, the No. 1 seed, advances to face the winner between No. 2 Baker County (20-5) and No. 3 Plantation American Heritage (18-10) in the championship game Thursday at 7 p.m.
Montverde Academy (27-4) was set to play Calvary Christian (23-5) of Clearwater in Wednesday night’s 3A state final.
Seminole State College commit Skyler Cloud, a senior, struck out six while allowing three hits and one additional baserunner on a hit-by-pitch in Eustis’ victory.
Eustis, which put runners on base by way of a fielder’s choice, two walks and three hit-by-pitches, took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Dalilah Turner stole two bases and scored on a throwing error.
LaBelle tied the score in the top of the seventh on a two-out double to left field by Brooke Black. The equalizer came moments after Emorie Anderson took second base on a passed ball.
LaBelle stranded a pair of runners in the fourth and got nothing else going offensively until the final inning.
Eustis is playing for its second state championship since 2021. The Panthers also finished state runner-up in 2017.
Admission to state tournament games is $14 in advance and $17 on day of games through the GoFan app. All games will stream live online for a fee at NFHS Network.
Check SentinelVarsity.com for updated state tournament results and matchups.
This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email J.C. Carnahan at jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com.
