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SARASOTA – Two major pieces of the puzzle are returning to a Sarasota High lineup filled with Sailors that have stepped up to plate big-time in the meantime.
Junior pitching ace Gemma Mulhollen returned last week from a lower back strain and offensive sparkplug Gianna Williams is set to return Monday, April 10, 2026, after being hit by a pitch that fractured a metacarpal bone in her left hand.
In the seven games Williams played before being injured, the senior outfielder was 11-of-19 for an insane .579 batting average.
“Gianna is just an on-base machine,” Sailors first-year head coach Andrew Jensen said. “She really helps the offense go. We’ve missed here over the last few weeks hitting in the No. 2 hole. It will be great to get her back.”
Fellow Sailors have filled the void at the plate, led by Ashlan Guengerich. The senior third baseman has belted three home runs and is batting at a sizzling .483 clip.
Junior outfielder-first baseman Jade Hendrickson also has three homers and owns a .426 batting average. Senior catcher Gia DePastino leads the Sailors (15-4) with 21 runs batted in, followed by senior second baseman Madison Culbertson and Hendrickson with 20 apiece. Culbertson is tied for the team lead with three round-trippers.
However, home runs and RBIs aren’t the only things powering the Sarasota offense.
Junior shortstop and leadoff hitter Olivia Lockhart has stolen 23 bases, in addition to her .373 batting average. Hendrickson has 10 and Williams has wiped seven bags in the seven games she has played.
“We have a lot of speed at the front end of our lineup,” Jensen said. “Olivia is extremely fast. They have been on base a lot, which has allowed the girls like Ash and Gia and Jade and Madison in our lineup to collect a lot of RBIs. It’s been a big part of our identity, and it’s good to see.”
Freshman right-hander Maisy Johnson rose to the occasion with Mullhollen on the shelf. She’s gone 5-2 with a 3.08 earned run average.
In back-to-back victories over Parrish Community High and Inspiration Academy of Bradenton, Johnson pitched all 14 innings, allowing just one earned run and walking only two batters.
“Maisy attacked the hitters over those two games,” Jensen said. “Next year we will have Gemma as a senior and Maisy as a sophomore. I think we will be even stronger in the circle next year.”
Mullhollen was 8-1 with a sparkling 1.60 ERA prior to her back issues.
“I am just kind of easing back into it,” Mulhollen said. “I don’t want to go too hard and move to quick and mess it up again. Just playing will help me get back into it.”
Guengerich played a key role last season when Sarasota made its way the State Final Four, despite losing in the Class 7A-District 8 tournament before reeling in three straight victories in the state playoffs to advance.
The returning Sailors learned a lot from the experience and Guengerich likes the chemistry this year’s squad has developed.
“We play for each other,” Guengerich said. “I think that’s our biggest thing. We have a ‘we over me’ mindset. Outside of softball we are all good friends and we love each other. I think all of getting along and being on the same page will help us go far this year.”
Jensen graduated from Sarasota High in 1995 and played on the Sailors 1994 state champion baseball team, one of six state crowns captured under the guidance of legendary coach Clyde Metcalf during his tenure at the school. Jensen was coach of the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs last year, going 13-12 in his lone season at the school.
“I enjoyed my time at Lakewood Ranch the year that I was there,” Jensen said. “This just feels more like home. That’s no disrespect to Lakewood Ranch. I grew up in Sarasota and feel like I belong here.
“I was always taught the right way coming from this program. I don’t think there was a better coach I could have played for.”
Jensen’s focus now is on finishing strong and rolling into the postseason.
“We should be at full strength and be ready for the district playoffs,” he said. “We have some really good players. They made it all the way to states last year. We’re trying to position ourselves to make that run again.”
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota softball players step up to keep winning despite injuries
Continue reading...
Junior pitching ace Gemma Mulhollen returned last week from a lower back strain and offensive sparkplug Gianna Williams is set to return Monday, April 10, 2026, after being hit by a pitch that fractured a metacarpal bone in her left hand.
In the seven games Williams played before being injured, the senior outfielder was 11-of-19 for an insane .579 batting average.
“Gianna is just an on-base machine,” Sailors first-year head coach Andrew Jensen said. “She really helps the offense go. We’ve missed here over the last few weeks hitting in the No. 2 hole. It will be great to get her back.”
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Fellow Sailors have filled the void at the plate, led by Ashlan Guengerich. The senior third baseman has belted three home runs and is batting at a sizzling .483 clip.
Junior outfielder-first baseman Jade Hendrickson also has three homers and owns a .426 batting average. Senior catcher Gia DePastino leads the Sailors (15-4) with 21 runs batted in, followed by senior second baseman Madison Culbertson and Hendrickson with 20 apiece. Culbertson is tied for the team lead with three round-trippers.
However, home runs and RBIs aren’t the only things powering the Sarasota offense.
Junior shortstop and leadoff hitter Olivia Lockhart has stolen 23 bases, in addition to her .373 batting average. Hendrickson has 10 and Williams has wiped seven bags in the seven games she has played.
You must be registered for see images attach
“We have a lot of speed at the front end of our lineup,” Jensen said. “Olivia is extremely fast. They have been on base a lot, which has allowed the girls like Ash and Gia and Jade and Madison in our lineup to collect a lot of RBIs. It’s been a big part of our identity, and it’s good to see.”
Freshman right-hander Maisy Johnson rose to the occasion with Mullhollen on the shelf. She’s gone 5-2 with a 3.08 earned run average.
In back-to-back victories over Parrish Community High and Inspiration Academy of Bradenton, Johnson pitched all 14 innings, allowing just one earned run and walking only two batters.
“Maisy attacked the hitters over those two games,” Jensen said. “Next year we will have Gemma as a senior and Maisy as a sophomore. I think we will be even stronger in the circle next year.”
You must be registered for see images attach
Mullhollen was 8-1 with a sparkling 1.60 ERA prior to her back issues.
“I am just kind of easing back into it,” Mulhollen said. “I don’t want to go too hard and move to quick and mess it up again. Just playing will help me get back into it.”
Guengerich played a key role last season when Sarasota made its way the State Final Four, despite losing in the Class 7A-District 8 tournament before reeling in three straight victories in the state playoffs to advance.
The returning Sailors learned a lot from the experience and Guengerich likes the chemistry this year’s squad has developed.
You must be registered for see images attach
“We play for each other,” Guengerich said. “I think that’s our biggest thing. We have a ‘we over me’ mindset. Outside of softball we are all good friends and we love each other. I think all of getting along and being on the same page will help us go far this year.”
Jensen graduated from Sarasota High in 1995 and played on the Sailors 1994 state champion baseball team, one of six state crowns captured under the guidance of legendary coach Clyde Metcalf during his tenure at the school. Jensen was coach of the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs last year, going 13-12 in his lone season at the school.
You must be registered for see images attach
“I enjoyed my time at Lakewood Ranch the year that I was there,” Jensen said. “This just feels more like home. That’s no disrespect to Lakewood Ranch. I grew up in Sarasota and feel like I belong here.
“I was always taught the right way coming from this program. I don’t think there was a better coach I could have played for.”
Jensen’s focus now is on finishing strong and rolling into the postseason.
“We should be at full strength and be ready for the district playoffs,” he said. “We have some really good players. They made it all the way to states last year. We’re trying to position ourselves to make that run again.”
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota softball players step up to keep winning despite injuries
Continue reading...
