By JUSTIN KANE
Winning is a feeling the softball team knows well as they finished the regular season 18-4. They capped off the regular season with a 4-1 victory over Lake Mary on April 27. Junior Virginia Pender pitched a complete game five hitter, striking out four.
“She’s a hard worker,” coach Robin Bradford, who is in her 23rd year coaching, said. “Her and catcher Marissa Edwards worked together each game and performed outstanding.”
With one of the best records in recent years, the team made it to districts.
“It was a very successful season,” junior Megan Stuart said. “It was a 20 win season, and we worked together well.”
They started districts by hosting the Colonial Grenadiers and defeated them 8-1. Pender again pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts. At the plate, she had a triple and drove in three runs. Senior Andrea Sweat, junior right-fielder Kacie Maroney and sophomore left-fielder Katlyn Schettino each had two hits in two at-bats and drove in a
combined four runs.
In the district semifinals, the girls defeated University 3-1 as Pender threw yet another complete game, striking out five batters. This win avenged a 2-8 loss to University in the regular season.
Opening up the regional round of the postseason, the girls traveled to Lake Howell to face the 27-5 Silver Hawks. It was tied 1-1 until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Silver Hawks had a
five run inning.
The girls got two runs back in the top of the seventh thanks to sophomore first baseman Brandy Eaton who drove in two runs with a double. That wouldn’t be enough, ending their season with a 3-6 loss.
“Lake Howell is a strong team. They had a few breaks and put their bats together,” junior second baseman Shelby Miller said. “We worked hard and did our best.”
Recently the Orlando Sentinel named Sweat to the All-Central Florida defensive softball team. The Orlando Sentinel said she is “An all-around athlete, the senior has great instincts with an outstanding arm. She also is a smart player who has shown outstanding ability to go
back on the ball.”
“It’s an accomplishment [being named to the team],” Sweat said. “Not everyone gets that type of recognition.”
Sweat plans to play college softball next year at Polk State College.
During the season the team outscored opponents 94-32. This season the girls beat five teams by at least 10 runs. Their four losses were to West Orange, University, Timber Creek and Ovideo.
The team lost twice in the postseason, the first game aginst Timber Creek in the District Championship. The second loss came against Lake Howell in the first round of the regional playoffs, a game they secured by winning the District semifinal.