Top-seeded Spruce Creek stunned by Sanford Seminole in regional softball semifinal
PORT ORANGE — Seminole stunned top-seeded Spruce Creek in Tuesday's Region 1-7A softball semifinal, handing the Hawks their first defeat in more than a month and crushing their hopes of a state championship run.
Addison Poe smacked a first-inning home run, the 'Noles capitalized on a fielding blunder to plate a pair of go-ahead runs in the third and Anne Long tossed a four-hit gem in a 3-1 upset victory. Seminole (16-7) will travel to Lake Brantley in Friday's regional championship.
Spruce Creek, which entered the night on an 11-game winning streak, closes a promising campaign at 20-4.
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"They do everything right in the classroom, outside of school, outside of (the diamond). They deserve the world," Hawks coach Cameron McClelland said. "Sometimes the world doesn't give you what you deserve.
"They got beat. Hats off to Seminole, their team and their coaching staff. We wish them the best."
Spruce Creek quickly canceled out Poe's early solo bomb when Kentucky commit Julie Kelley singled the opposite way to bring Avery Helms home from second. But Seminole loaded the bases in the third on a bunt defense miscue, and scored twice on a potential double-play ball.
Alexandra Steffano chopped a comebacker to Kelley, who fired slightly high on a throw home. Catcher Gabi Pardo secured the out, but her throw down to first landed in shallow right field. Two 'Noles scored, restoring the vistors' advantage.
"We seemed a little step behind," McClelland said. "In these types of ballgames, at this time of the season, you need to be hitting on all cylinders. It's funny how it always ends up that the team that makes the least mistakes wins. That's the game of softball."
Kelley added: "I kind of just blacked out. Obviously, it's upsetting but I tried to just erase it from my mind and keep going. At that point, we were only in the third inning."
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The Hawks thought they had tied the game in the fifth when Alexis Minaberry tripled into the right field corner, bringing home two runners. However, it was ruled a foul ball prior to deflecting off the glove of Seminole first baseman Ava Matthews near the bag.
Minaberry grounded out moments later, and Long retired six of the last seven Hawks she faced — punctuating the victory with back-to-back strikeouts of Neena Hernandez and Meagan Cowoski.
Freshman Adalyn Morford followed a 3-for-3 performance against Mandarin with another pair of postseason hits. Kelley struck out 10 Seminole hitters, finishing with 193 on the season and 815 for her four-year varsity career, including her 2021 freshman campaign at Seabreeze.
"It was definitely emotional. I think all of us were upset, mostly just frustrated with ourselves," Kelley, one of Creek's two seniors, said. "Obviously, that cost us the game.
"I think they can do whatever they want to accomplish. I'm super proud of all them, and they're a great group of girls. I'm excited to follow them next season."
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: High school softball: Seminole upsets Spruce Creek in FHSAA playoffs
