Mission accomplished for Parrish Community High softball team

CLERMONT − The dream has been in the works for more than a year.

Parrish Community High softball coach Erin Spivey thought her Bulls could win or at least contend for a state title last year had injuries not ravaged the team.

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With not some, but all of the players returning this season, Spivey again thought a state championship was possible.

Thursday, it became a reality.

Behind the dominant pitching performance of Isabella “Isa” Vega and an offense that banged out 10 hits, including three from leadoff hitter Julia Girk, Parrish Community captured the first state championship in school history with a 5-0 whitewash of Deltona High in the Class 5A Championship game at Legends Way Ball Fields.

History made

“We made school history and program history,” Vega said. “No other team sport has made it to states. It’s not only for us, but for our school.”

“It was our comeback season,” senior outfielder Ella Romano said. “We couldn’t do it last season because of how many people we had gone because they were hurt. We just wanted it so bad after last year. We knew we could do it if we put our mind to it.”

The four-year program, 3 ½ if you count the COVID-19 year of 2020, jettisoned to the top of softball, not only in Manatee County or Southwest Florida, but the state.

“It’s huge,” Spivey said. “The program four years we’ve been building it and building it. For the girls to overcome last year and work hard to get back to level to the level they were injured is huge growth and mindset. We knew we had a shot; we had to take it.”

Dominating postseason

The Bulls (24-3) finished the season with eight shutouts in their final nine games, outscoring the opposition 68-1 during that span. In the five regional and Final 4 playoff games, Parrish Community outscored its opponents 30-1.

“We pulled out all the stops,” Spivey said. “We practiced Saturdays. We went over everything we could possibly go over to reach our goal. And that was the last goal of the season. It’s super exciting.”

Parrish Community’s success starts in the circle with Vega and Ella Torres. The two worked hand-in-hand all season with different repertoires.

“They feed off each other,” Spivey said.

'Isa' was torrid

When it came down to the playoffs, Spivey went with Vega in the circle and Torres at third base to solidify an already-strong defense and No. 3 in the lineup.

Coming off somewhat of a subpar performance in the State Semifinals, a two-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts but five walks and a number of base runners, Vega was dominant from the start.

The right-hander heading to the University of Central Florida retired the first 12 batters.

Deltona cleanup hitter Delanie Perry hit a 3-1 pitch to center field for the Wolves’ lone hit and only base runner of the game. Perry was gunned down attempting to steal second base by batterymate Carsyn Kull, meaning Vega faced the minimum number of batters (21).

“I’m happy about that,” Vega said.

“One hundred percent we would not be here without her at all,” Romano said. “She has been like our rock.”

“She instills a level of confidence on the field, knowing she has this and we have to do our job in the field and at the plate” said Girk, the leadoff hitter and center fielder. “We have to get one or more and we know she has it.”

Offense comes alive

The offense, which produced only a Torres first-inning solo home run in the State Semifinal, got going in the second inning Thursday. Karsyn France had a one-out single, took second on a two-out walk to Rylee Little and scored on a single to left by No. 9 hitter Lindsey Watson.

The explosion came in the fifth inning, when the Bulls hitters were more aggressive against Deltona left-hander Katie McCaw.

Little singled and was sacrificed to second by Watson. Girk tripled to center field to produce a run and scored on a hit by Kull. Romano then doubled to left to score Kull to cap a three-run uprising.

“All I think about is energy,” said Romano, who let out a scream when she reached second base. “If I’m not up, I don’t feel like I’m playing the game. Just having that hit it brought the team together. We got higher.”

“Pass the bat,” Girk said.

“Today, they cranked it up,” Spivey said. “When they’re on and hitting … They did good.”

Historic 4 years

In the four-year history of the program, the Bulls are 69-18, including 8-0 in the 2020 COVID-19 season.

Three players have been there from the start - Brooke Strckland and starters Karsyn France and Grace Woodring. Others popped in at different times during the past four years.

Along with Strickland, France and Woodring, Torres, Ally Messina, Watson, Woodring and Vega are graduating.

That fact hit Spivey during Senior Night this year.

“They’re always trying to catch me crying. I don’t know why it’s such a big deal for them,” said Spivey, who received a surprise from her brother Chad Sutton, the former Cardinal Mooney Catholic High volleyball coach and current coach at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. “Senior Night, I knew it was coming. Sometimes I would watch them warm up and tear up a little bit, knowing they’re going to be gone. I walk away and come back.

“But no, never let them see me cry.”

Reality set in for the senior, as they have three exams Friday.

But they could take those tests with gold medals around their necks.

“It’s amazing,” Vega said. “I’m so proud of my team. All the girls contributed. I’m really proud of them. It was a great team effort. We went all out. It’s the best way to end my high school career.”

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Parrish Community softball wins state softball championship