What you need to know about the FHSAA Softball State Championships

Dennis Maffezzoli, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·5 min read

NOTE: Time changes for both games.

The Lemon Bay High and Parrish Community High softball teams both are going to the State Final 4 for the first time in program history.

The Manta Rays needed 10 innings to defeat Robinson High, 1-0, on the road Saturday in Tampa in the Class 4A-Region 3 final. Lemon Bay is going to the state semifinals in Coach Kim Pinkham's 20th season at the helm.

Recap of regionals: Softball regional roundup: Mills' pitching, hitting helps Lemon Bay reach first Final 4

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Bulls' regional final photos: SOFTBALL: Parrish Community vs. North Fort Myers regional final

Manta Rays' regional final photos: SOFTBALL: Lemon Bay vs. Robinson regional final

The Bulls got past North Fort Myers, 2-0, at home Friday in the Class 5A-Region 3 title game. Parrish Community has been a varsity program for the past four seasons, all with Coach Erin Spivey at the helm.

Both the Manta Rays and the Bulls play in the State Semifinals on Wednesday in Clermont. The championship games in both classes are Thursday. All the games are Legends Way Ball Fields in Clermont.

SOFTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

WHERE: Legends Way Ball Fields (2350 Legends Way, Clermont)

ADMISSION: $9 per day if purchased in advance via GoFan, and $12 if purchased day of the game

PARKING: $10 for cars

STATE SEMIFINALS

CLASS 4A

No. 4 Lemon Bay (17-7) vs. No. 1 Lake Wales (19-11)

The Lemon Bay High softball team is going to the Final 4 for the first time in program history.
The Lemon Bay High softball team is going to the Final 4 for the first time in program history.

WHEN: 10 a.m. (moved from 11 a.m.) Wednesday

ABOUT LEMON BAY: The Manta Rays are in the Final 4 for the first time in program history. … Seeded seventh in the region, Lemon Bay defeated Hardee County, 4-3, Cypress Lake, 1-0, and Robinson, 1-0, to reach the State Semifinals. … The Manta Rays were 0-1 in one-run games during the regular season.

RANKINGS: 160th in the state, 23rd in 4A (MaxPreps), 207th (FHSAA), 0.21 (strength of schedule).

OFFESNIVE LEADERS: Abby Matheny (.452 average, .500 on-base percentage, 33 hits, 24 runs batted in, .643 slugging, percentage, 10 doubles, 2 triples), Taylor Jones (2 home runs, 36 runs scored), Zoey Mills (2 home runs), Mackenzie Vaughan (7 stolen bases).

PITCHING LEADERS: Mills (8-4, 0.88 earned run average, 4 complete games, 2 shutouts, 2 no-hitters, 162 strikeouts, 95 ⅔ innings).

ABOUT LAKE WALES: The Highlanders finished as the Class 4A runners-up a year ago, losing to Deltona, 6-3, in the championship game. … Lake Wales also finished as runners-up in 1995, ’96 and 2009. … The Highlanders won state titles in 2007 (over Pasco) and 2013 (over Creekside). … Lake Wales was seeded third in Region 2, defeating Vanguard, 6-1, Eustis, 7-6, and top-seeded Lake Region, 8-3, in the regionals.

RANKINGS: 15th in the state, 2nd in 4A (MaxPreps), 31st (FHSAA), 14.93 (strength of schedule, first in the state).

OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Zamya McBurrows (.398 average, .496 on-base percentage, 19 stolen bases, 35 runs scored, 41 hits, .563 average), Sydnie Whitaker (6 home runs), Presley Smith (29 runs batted in), Kiera Morris (8 doubles), Kiera Davis (3 triples).

PITCHING LEADERS: Anna Conroy (14-8, 3.42 earned run average, 77 strikeouts in 137 ⅓ innings).

NEXT: The winner plays the winner of the game between No. 2 Key West (19-3) and No. 3 Wakulla (19-6) 4 p.m. Thursday.

CLASS 5A

No. 1 Parrish Community (22-3) vs. No. 4 River Ridge (20-8)

The Parrish Community High softball team is going to the State Final 4 for the first time in the four-year history of the program.
The Parrish Community High softball team is going to the State Final 4 for the first time in the four-year history of the program.

WHEN: 3 p.m. (moved from 4:30 p.m.) Wednesday

ABOUT PARRISH COMMUNITY: The Bulls are in the Final 4 for the first time in the four-year history of the program, including the COVID pandemic year of 2020. … Parrish Community was seeded first in Region 3 and defeated St. Petersburg 10-0, Barron Collier, 11-1, and North Fort Myers, 2-0, in the regionals.

RANKINGS: 3rd in the state, 1st in 5A (MaxPreps), 5th (FHSAA), 12.44 (strength of schedule).

OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Julia Girk (.587 average, .640 on-base percentage, 32 stolen bases, 36 runs, 44 hits, .746 slugging percentage, 2 triples), Ella Romano (9 doubles, 4 home runs), Ella Torres (9 doubles, 36 runs batted in), Alex Call (4 home runs).

PITCHING LEADERS: Isabella “Isa” Vega (13-2, 0.75 earned run average, 1 save, 209 strikeouts in 111 ⅔ innings), Torres (7-1, 0.97 earned run average, 41 strikeouts in 43 ⅓ innings).

ABOUT RIVER RIDGE: The Royal Knights reached the regional final a year ago, losing to South Lake. … Seeded third in Region 3, River Ridge defeated Seminole, 10-2, Pasco, 6-4, and top-seeded Auburndale, 3-1, in the regionals. … The Royals Knights finished as state runner-up in back-to-back years in 2002-03.

RANKINGS: 37th in the state, 6th in 5A (MaxPreps), 59th (FHSAA), 9.72 (strength of schedule).

OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Taryn Newton (.447 average, .505 on-base percentage 38 hits), Sophie Johnson (12 home runs, 12 doubles, 35 runs batted in, 34 runs scored, .912 slugging percentage), Jacqleen Golden (12 doubles, 4 stolen bases), Caitlin Blankenship (12 doubles, 4 triples).

PITCHING LEADERS: Jayda Smith (9-3, 2.22 earned run average, 170 strikeouts in 110 ⅓ innings).

NEXT: The winner plays the winner between No. 2 Deltona (21-4) and No. 3 South Fork (17-5-1) at 7 p.m. Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Softball state championships Lemon Bay Parrish Community in state semifinals

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