Soaring in softball: Episcopal and Baldwin win close contests, Baker County rolls
One more Grace Jones gem returned Episcopal to the final eight.
Episcopal's senior ace pitched a five-hitter and reached base three times, leading the host Eagles to a 3-1 win over West Nassau (17-9) in Tuesday night's Florida High School Athletic Association Region 1-3A softball semifinal.
The Warriors shut out Episcopal (25-3) until the fourth inning, when back-to-back singles by Jones and Emily Davidson plated a pair of runs. Riley Valent added a solo home run in the sixth.
The Eagles travel Friday for the long-anticipated regional final at Baldwin, which survived a 6-5 battle against visiting Marianna (17-9).
Baldwin (28-1) trailed for much of the night until scoring four runs in the fourth. Marianna fought back to tie the score on an Amarii Spires home run in the top of the sixth, before Amiyah Jones came through with the go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the inning. Shaylen Byrd retired the side to wrap up the final inning.
Marianna had seized an early lead on an Addison Giles home run in the first, staying in front until the fourth. Byrd doubled for Baldwin and Chloe Gotto went 2 for 4.
REGION 1-7A
Auriana Turner doubled, homered and drove in five runs as Lake Brantley scored in every inning but one, ending the playoff run of Creekside, 10-3.
The Patriots (18-8) scored in each of the first three innings and blew the game open in a three-run fourth with Turner's three-run home run. For Creekside (21-6), Cora Middleton reached base three times, while Presley Brinkley and Kaylee Martineau both doubled.
Lake Brantley advances to a Friday game against Sanford Seminole, which ousted No. 1 seed Spruce Creek.
REGION 1-6A
For Oakleaf, the feeling was all too familiar.
Oviedo Hagerty's Ella Verne pitched a one-hit shutout, a year after she also eliminated Oakleaf from the postseason with a one-hit shutout, and the Knights exited the regional playoffs with an 11-0 loss.
Alexander Beldowicz, Alina Gallaher and Ana Roman each homered for Hagerty (23-5), which pulled away rapidly with four runs in the second inning and three more in the third. Rachel Matthiesen also went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBI.
Center fielder Ava Tolbert recorded the only hit for the Knights (18-9).
REGION 1-5A
For the second time in two weeks, Leanna Bourdage had too much zip for Middleburg.
The Gainesville freshman sensation hurled a two-hit shutout and struck out 11 batters, eliminating the 2022 state champions and current top seeds, 6-0.
Bourdage helped her cause at the plate with a three-run home run in the fifth inning, and Adriana Koralewski also went deep for the Hurricanes (22-4). Two weeks ago, Bourdage had pitched a no-hitter against Middleburg in the district championship.
The first 11 batters went down in order for Middleburg (22-5) until Alyssa Prather's single in the fourth. The Broncos never moved a runner into scoring position.
REGION 1-4A
Baleigh Shields hit an inside-the-park grand slam and Baker County's bats roared to life in the middle innings for a 10-0 mercy-rule rout of South Walton (10-11).
Baker County (19-5) piled up four runs in the third inning and six more in the fourth, highlighted by the grand slam. Mallory Jackson and Brooklyn Davis got two hits apiece from the top of the order and pitcher Chloe Woods fought through five hits and four walks for a shutout.
The Wildcats will play Wakulla at 7 p.m. Thursday.
REGION 1-2A
Senior Kate Dell'Alba blasted a pair of three-run homers, one in the second inning and another in the sixth, and reigning state champion University Christian pulled away for a 12-3 win over Trinity Christian.
UC (17-7) quickly put the game out of reach in a seven-run second. Kylie Shannon and Jaleigha Harris each got two hits and pitcher Sophia Kardatzke struck out 15. Mercer-committed infielder Hannah Rivers hit three doubles for Trinity (9-13).
The Fighting Christians land a rematch Friday against Providence, which won a wild 11-10 game in eight innings on Ava Conley's walk-off single against Tallahassee North Florida Christian (9-14).
Providence (11-12) quickly jumped to a 6-0 lead before NFC struck back with three runs in the fifth and six in the sixth. But the Stallions stayed alive with Elle Burns' two-run, two-out homer in the bottom of the seventh to force extras, and after Hayden Stone's RBI single pushed the visitors back in front, consecutive singles by Sophia Prather and Conley ended the night.
Burns finished a triple shy of the cycle with five RBI for the Stallions and Summer Stearns doubled twice.
REGION 3-1A
Breaking open a scoreless game in the bottom of the seventh, Madyson Sikes clubbed a home run to left center to lead Branford to the final four, 1-0 over Fort White (13-6).
The home run concluded a tense pitchers' duel matching the Buccaneers' Laila Arnold and Fort White's Kadence Compton, who had combined to allow only seven hits before the blast.
Branford (23-6) moves on to the state final four next week at Legends Way Ball Fields in Clermont.
REGION 1-4A CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
Baker County (19-5) at Wakulla (24-3), 7 p.m. Thursday: The War Eagles, winners of 15 straight, welcome Baker County to Crawfordville after a single day of rest. The Big Bend powers include Auburn-committed pitching ace Charley Butler (19-2, 0.81) and run-producing newcomer Cylie Long (.464, 5 2B, 4 HR, 35 RBI). Baker County counters with not one but two effective pitchers in Chloe Woods (11-3, 1.33) and Rylee Walker (8-1, 1.96), plus an on-fire infielder in Baleigh Shields. Wakulla won 2-0 at the same stage a year ago with a four-hit shutout from Butler. The winner moves on to the state semifinals at Legends Way Ball Fields in Clermont for a May 22 game.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: FHSAA softball 2024: Northeast Florida second-round playoff report
