Wildcats roar: Baker County routs American Heritage, advances to FHSAA softball final
With one around-the-bases sprint, Baleigh Shields applied the icing to the cake.
Shields' inside-the-park home run activated the mercy rule and launched Baker County into the state final, 10-0 over American Heritage in Wednesday's Florida High School Athletic Association Class 4A softball semifinal in Clermont.
The Wildcats (21-5), winners of 11 consecutive games, advance to a 7 p.m. Thursday championship game against No. 1 Eustis at Legends Way Ball Fields.
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Rylee Walker pitched five innings and Chloe Woods worked the sixth as Baker County's junior pitching tandem combined for a two-hitter against American Heritage (19-11).
Held in check for three innings by American Heritage starter Koda Travers, Baker County broke out in the fourth with two-run singles from Karis Richardson and Mallory Jackson.
The Wildcats then piled on with five in the fifth, after a two-RBI double by Richardson and consecutive RBI hits from Brooklyn Combs, Keyla Nelson and Jackson. Shields opened the sixth with an inside-the-park homer to right, stretching the margin to 10 runs and ending the game.
Nelson doubled twice and Shields scored three runs in the win for Baker County, which will play for its second state championship in nine years.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Baker County-American Heritage: FHSAA high school softball semis 2024
