State semis: Jupiter softball falls in extras despite heroic performance by Sasha Seidel

It’s a game of inches for a reason.

Facing two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth inning, Jupiter was inches away from a game-ending out.

But Jupiter’s diving attempt on a line drive by Western’s Alana Cypress came up just shy, allowing both runners to score for the Wildcats in a roller-coaster 4-3 state semifinal game in Clermont on Friday.

"Sasha made a good pitch, the girl hit it off the end of the bat, we made every effort to catch it," head coach Steve Ahern said. "Sometimes it happens that way."

Sasha Seidel won’t feel like taking a bow with Jupiter set to return home a day earlier than they’d hoped. But in an extra-inning thriller, the sophomore pitcher was spectacular.

State softball: Jupiter embracing challenges ahead of state semifinals in Clermont

Twice Western loaded the bases in the first four innings, and twice Seidel posted back-to-back strikeouts to send the Wildcats back to the dugout with a whimper.

She tallied seven punch-outs in total, puzzling a Western lineup for most of the game.

"We have a lot of confidence in her," Ahern said of the sophomore pitcher. "She's worked really hard this year. She keeps batters off guard and she keeps attacking. She doesn't let up."

At the plate, Jupiter’s star sophomore took matters into her own hands with a three-hit game, sending a frozen-rope line drive down the line for an RBI double in the top half of the third.

Two innings later, Seidel went opposite field with another liner to score Sienna Rodriguez, whose athletic slide toward the outside of home plate barely beat the catcher’s tag.

Western battled back with two runs in the fifth after a strange sequence of events that saw four stoppages of play by the umpires to discuss everything from a dead-ball situation to a questionable out call at third base that was eventually rescinded.

Though Western tied the game, Jupiter’s London Gomes’ defensive play in right field prevented further damage.

"They've learned," Ahern said. "They've matured. They did a great job staying behind one another, not letting things get them down. Today was another example of that. They just kept fighting. Around midseason, they really began to believe in themselves and turned it into a hell of a season."

With the Florida High School Athletic Association implementing the ghost runner rule – where each team is awarded a runner at second base to start each inning in extras – Jupiter scored in the top half of the eighth after a pair of two-out singles.

Seidel again made a sharp play in the bottom half, this time on defense, turning a bobbled comebacker into a run-down that caught the lead runner.

But with two outs and two runners in scoring position, Cypress’ hit found the gap on a short line drive, rolling into the grass just past outstretched leather on a sellout dive in the outfield.

Jupiter finishes the season with a 15-8 record, and not all skies are gray: The young Warriors return the vast majority of their roster next season.

It's a life experience," Ahern said. "They'll never forget what happened, and hopefully they learn from it and we all move forward."

Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jupiter softball edged by Western in FHSAA state semifinals