Wellington softball edges Jupiter once again to reach state semifinals

WELLINGTON – For the first time in six years, the Wellington softball squad is going to the state semifinals.

After besting Jupiter (19-6) twice in the regular season, both one-score games, the Wolverines (20-2-1) gritted out a 2-1 victory in Saturday’s pitcher’s duel in the regional final.

Postponed from Friday’s veritable monsoon that swept through Wellington, Saturday’s noon designation for first pitch saw sunny skies above the mound – and on it, an instant classic.

Despite putting a runner on third base for the first three innings against Wellington pitcher Tori Payne, the Warriors couldn’t figure out a way to bring any home.

It was the Wolverines that struck first and second on RBIs from Erryn Lowe, Tuesday’s semifinal hero, and Kaitlyn Campbell, who tallied three hits and two run-denying catches in left-field.

The Wolverines have been to states in 2011, and 2017, so it was only fair they kept the six-year pattern alive.

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Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s regional final action.

1. Jordan White, Campbell, Payne help Wolverines survive Jupiter onslaught

It was the finish Wellington desired, but perhaps not the start the program envisioned.

Facing Jupiter for the third time in four weeks, head coach Mark Boretti put Payne on the mound to start the game, as the Warriors had seen White pitch extensively in prior matchups.

The midweek switch didn’t seem to faze Jupiter, who rattled off multiple hits in each of the first three innings, requiring some mettle and finesse from Payne to escape several jams.

Coming into the game in a relief role, White allowed just one run, tallying important strikeouts across the final innings.

“My mindset coming in was just, ‘throw as hard as I can and not put too much pressure on myself because whatever happens, happens,’” she said.

Behind Payne and White, the Wolverines unsung senior hero was, without a shadow of a doubt, Campbell.

Adding to her impressive repertoire of defensive magic, Campbell made two more runs disappear on Saturday afternoon, including the game-sealing catch.

In a one-run game, the star left-fielder’s catches were both crucial for Wellington – and what better way to end the game than for fans to see her charging down a flyball for the final out.

“I just give it all I’ve got,” she said. “I’ve got my center-fielder to back me up, so I just go all out.”

One media member told her after the game that her new nickname was, “can’t-get-it-past-me Campbell,” to which she laughed and said “that works.”

“Pitching and defense, that’s what they said wins championships, “Boretti said. “There it is right there.”

2. Jupiter reflect on seniors’ legacy in turnaround year 

It’s been a few years since Jupiter softball has laid claim to a truly dominant season under head coach Steve Ahern.

But behind the efforts of senior captains Sophia White, Samantha White, and Amanda Lieberman, the Warriors returned to form in the 2023 season.

“It’s been a crazy year for them and a crazy career for the seniors,” Ahern said. “Remember they started off freshman year with COVID. And then we had a rough year for them, a roller coaster year last year. This year, they kind of put it together.”

Though the Wolverines got the better of them in the regional final, it wasn’t for lack of trying.

“We went after them all three times,” Ahern said. “Just one run short.”

Looking back, it may have been the seniors that developed as leaders, but it was the Warriors program as a whole that gelled and grew as a unit. It was through that camaraderie that Jupiter was able to piece together a 14-game winning streak to open the season.

“We’ve had a great year,” Ahern said. “We had good senior leadership that led our young players. We have a young team, but we had a good mixture and the kids really blended together. All throughout the year, we got better and better, and we had a heck of a run.”

3. Final four appearance a reward for goal-minded Wolverines  

2011, 2017, 2023. The state appearance might have been written in the six-year pattern, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t take a great deal of sweat and sacrifice to get there.

Beginning their high-school careers in the midst of COVID-19, the Wellington seniors have had fewer chances to reach this point in a talented region.

It’s the first time they’ve made it this far – and that goes for everyone on the roster – and it’s certainly not being taken for granted.

“I’m super excited,” White said. “I wanted to go last year really badly, and I said, ‘this year is the year we’re going.’ And I’m so happy that we actually got it. It means a lot. If we have a chance at winning states at all, it would be with this team.”

The chance was almost thwarted in the regional final, as Jupiter appeared to have the upper hand in the first few innings of the contest.

“After the third or fourth inning, I said, ‘they are putting pressure on us, they’re the ones putting people on base. They’re having opportunities every inning. We’ve got to do something,’” Boretti said. “And we did. We did a couple of times, and we scored enough.”

After the final out, Kylie McCann acknowledged that though the hitting wasn’t superb in the third meeting against Jupiter, they just “had to relax and keep working.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, she told the media that although they kept the same approach as the other two meetings, the intensity paid off.

“It feels amazing,” McCann said. “We’ve been working super hard for this all year, and it’s my first time in all four years that we’ve got to this point.”

Boretti knows the work isn’t yet done, but the 14-year veteran coach showed his enthusiasm after Saturday’s contest in the winner’s huddle, dropping and giving fifty push-ups as the girls cheered him on with big smiles.

“We do dinner at the house,” Boretti said. “We have this thing, ‘we win, we eat.’ As we go through the playoffs, we eat the night before. We did that three times the last few weeks, and it worked. We’ve got to do it again next week before we go up there.”

The Wolverines ought to be pretty full after the regional run – but the squad hopes there are more meals to be had.

Two more meals, to be exact.

Wellington is set to face Plant (Tampa) in the state semifinals, taking place next Friday, May 26, at 7 p.m. at the Legends Way Ball Fields in Clermont, FL.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Wellington softball edges Jupiter once again to reach state semifinals