Julie Kelley's arm and bat, Neena Hernandez's glove lead Spruce Creek to Five Star softball crown

ORMOND BEACH — "Fast-pitch" Julie Kelley may have another nickname coming to her, though "warning-track" Julie doesn't have the quite the same ring to it.

But catching any good-natured grief over hitting three doubles would only speak to the prolific headspace in which Spruce Creek's senior ace resides these days while in the batter's box. Or the circle.

Two nights after belting a homer, Kelley went 3 for 4 with a trio of two-baggers and two RBIs while striking out nine in a complete-game effort as the Hawks (16-4) picked up a 5-2 win over University and a Five Star Conference championship to boot on Thursday at Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

"Trophies are fun, especially the bragging ones that make you the best in the area," Spruce Creek coach Cameron McClelland said. "We're not perfect, definitely got stuff to work on, but it's always good to win."

And it was of the team variety as well. Kelley, Meagan Cowoski (2 for 3) and Mackenzie Colby (2 for 4, two RBIs) all had multi-hit efforts, Alexis Minaberry added an RBI double and the Hawks made plays offensively and defensively when they needed to.

"If this group plays the way they're capable of playing, it doesn't matter who's on the other side," McClelland said. "One may be tougher than the next but if we do what we're capable of the sky is the limit."

For Kelley, a Kentucky commit, it was her third multi-hit game in the last four contests, a span in which she's gone 8 for 13 with four doubles, a triple, a homer and five RBIs.

"At the beginning of the season, I just wasn't as disciplined as I usually was," Kelley said. "The last couple of games, I've just really been hunting for my pitch and I think that's what I did tonight. I waited for my pitch, and I knew what she was going to throw."

Here are three takeaways from Thursday's Five Star finale:

Neena Hernandez leads stellar Spruce Creek defensive effort

Hernandez owes University second baseman Kendall Lee an apology letter. And a couple of base hits.

Lee was the victim of two dandy defensive displays as the Hawks' centerfielder robbed her of certain extra bases. Even better for Spruce Creek, the first of them, a full-extension layout in the top of the fourth inning, prevented a two-on, none-out situation with the Titans eventually being turned away scoreless in the frame.

And to get such a jump and time the leap perfectly, Hernandez had to be locked in, right?

"Honestly, in the beginning, I was spaced out," Hernandez, a West Florida commit, grinned. "With Julie pitching, I'm not used to getting many balls (hit to me)."

University threatened again in the fifth with Mia Fisher leading off with an infield single and Addison Pertler reaching on a fielder's choice two batters later, putting two on with one out. But Nina Rios-Cruz hit a sharp grounder to third and Creek's Minaberry stepped on the bag for one and fired to first for an inning-ending twin killing.

From there, Kelley slammed the door, retiring the last six hitters in order with three strikeouts.

Hawks hanging hats on timely hits

In its six trips to the plate, Spruce Creek pounded out 10 hits, a healthy number indeed.

But it wasn't necessarily how many, but when.

The first four Creek runs all scored with two outs. Kelley started it, plating Meagan Cowoski with the first of her three doubles in the opening frame. McKenzie Colby followed with a bigger blow, driving a two-run single to right to put the Hawks up 3-1 early.

After University closed to within one at 3-2 in the top of the third, Creek answered right back in the bottom. Kelley again mashed a double to center with two outs and Colby laced a ground ball back up the middle to make the score 4-2.

Hits, strikeouts, wins, losses; all of those things are great. But with disciplined, productive at-bats in pivotal spots and with heady defensive plays when they matter most, Spruce Creek may have proved once and for all its postseason ready with districts looming.

"I think it's really good to see, knowing my defense is behind me, knowing we have the bats," Kelley said. "We're really excited about districts. We want to make it far."

University shows progress in loss

All the way back in February, Spruce Creek throttled the Titans 11-1 in five innings.

Things were much, much tighter on Thursday. That was especially true offensively, where the Titans put runners on in each of the first five frames led by Gianna Hall, who singled twice in three at-bats, and Rios-Cruz who doubled home a run in the third.

"We had a really good approach at the plate, much better than last time," University coach Richard Gonzalez said. "It's definitely a good sign of progress, especially this time of year."

With the two sharing District 2-7A — along with West Port, Flagler Palm Coast and DeLand — there's certainly a chance another meeting may be on the horizon. And while Gonzalez admitted playing against the Hawks and facing Kelley again were good things, he's not looking anywhere near that far ahead.

"It definitely helps to get another look at them," he said. "There's a good chance we'll be facing them a third time, but that's also not a guarantee. Anything can happen in this district. Neither of us may be there."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: High school softball: Spruce Creek nips University for Five Star title