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EAGLE LAKE — Teams can be very successful with a strong top half of their batting order, but to make a deep playoff run, the bottom half have to contribute too. That bodes well for Lake Region.
Makayla Lawson, the Thunder’s No. 9 batter, doubled home Lake Region’s first two runs that sent the Thunder to a 4-1 victory over Lake Wales on Tuesday night in the championship game of the Class 4A, District 7 softball tournament.
Both Lake Region and Lake Wales had playoff spots locked up even prior to the tournament. The playoff pairing will be released Friday morning.
“We definitely played as if we weren't going to go on if we lost, so I think that helped a lot,” Lake Region pitcher Makenna Meadows said. “We didn't have it in our mind, we're going to move on regardless. We played as, if, we weren't going to move on.”
Upset alert: Durant beats Bartow to take district title; Fort Meade loses title in 10 innings
District softball: No-hitter by Lake Wales' Conroy leads all highlights from semifinals
District Softball: Here is a breakdown of Polk's districts and the best bets to reach state
Trailing 1-0, Lake Region finally got something going against Lake Wales pitcher Anna Conroy in the bottom of the fifth inning. Z Rosa singled to center, and Alicia Bradberry reached on a bunt. Then with one out and runners on second and third, Lawson ripped a double down the left field line to make it 2-0.
Lawson had thought when she got to the plate.
“Just hit the ball or (head coach) John (Bridges) is going to be mad,” Lawson said. “I was pretty confident. I got a hit off her before, so I was pretty confident. I was just looking for a good pitch.”
Lawson has a five-game hitting streak in which she is 3 for 7 with two doubles and four RBIs in her last three games and has raised her batting average 43 points to .257.
Lake Region got good production from its six through nine batters against Lake Wales. They went 3 for 8 with three RBIs with Lawson leading the way.
“She’s actually been hitting the ball very well,” Bridges said. “The bottom of the order is starting to come around. It’s all coming together little by little.”
Lawson came around to score on an error to make it 3-1, and Kiirsten Aldridge doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Until Lawson’s big hit, Lake Wales was nursing a 1-0 lead it got in the first inning. Keira Davis singled to lead off the game and later scored on an error. The Highlanders got runners on first and second with one out and the one-run lead in the first but couldn’t add any more runs.
Meadows settled down and finished with a four-hitter. She struck out 12 and walked one.
“I feel like they were definitely sitting my change-up, and that didn't really help,” Meadows said. “All their hits for us were on change-ups, so it was like it was it was frustrating. But after that inning, I kind of got it together.”
Anna Conroy shut down Lake Region for the first four innings before Lake Region broke though.
“I don't know why we always struggled with her in the first few innings,” Bridges said. “I do know why, she spins the ball well. We just got to get on top of the ball.”
This was Lake Wales’ third loss of the season to Lake Region, although each game as gotten closer and closer.
“We came out early and did well and then we had some chances to get some runs early, but credit to Makenna, she a great pitcher, and she shut us down,” Lake Wales coach Mike Settle said. “We had the one bad inning in the field again and it kind of set the tone for them and then they rode off that momentum. But they're a great club and we know we got some work to do. Hopefully tomorrow we'll find out where we're at, and move forward. Maybe maybe we'll get a chance to play them again.”
Third baseman Kamryn Pickering slammed two home runs, doubled and drove in six runs to power George Jenkins’ 10-0 victory over Winter Haven in the 7A-10 district championship game. Pickering finished 4 for 4.
The Eagles scored six runs in the first two inning then closed out the game with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Layla Hinojosa pitched a three-hitter with five strikeouts and three walks.
Auburndale scored three runs in the the top of the fourth inning to tie the score, but Sebring answered with 10 runs in the bottom half of the inning and went on to a 16-6 victory in the 5A-7 district championship game.
Auburndale finished with eight hits. Alyssa Wright went 3 for 4 and an RBI, and Gabriella Gonzalez went 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Mulberry tied the score in the sixth then scored three in the top of the eighth to slip past No. 1-seed McKeel, 6-4, on Tuesday in the 3A-8 district championship game.
The Panthers used small ball to take the lead. With two runners on, Rau bunted and Zoe Peterson scored. Kensington Danforth scored on Lylah Jones’ bunt to make it 5-3, and Loryianys Caston Cruz singled home Alana Rau.
Mulberry managed one run in the bottom of the eighth and had runners on second and third with two outs, but a pop-up to short ended the inning.
Rhiannon Lipham won 1-4 and drove in two runs to help McKeel take a 3-2 lead after five innings. Emma Skipper was 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Danforth went 3 for 4 to lead Mulberry. Jones finished 2 for 4 with an RBI, and Jaylin Oschmurn was 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Leaing by five runs, Lakeland Christian put up five more runs in the b bottom of the fifth inning to close out its 10-0 victory over Seffner Christian in the 1A-8 district championship game.
Mikayla Hampton went 3 for 3 with two RBIs, Rylan Rollyson doubled twice and drove in a run, and Paityn Donalson went 1 for 3 with three RBIs.
Riley Merritt allowed five hits and struck out two.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Four Polk County teams win district softball titles
Continue reading...
Makayla Lawson, the Thunder’s No. 9 batter, doubled home Lake Region’s first two runs that sent the Thunder to a 4-1 victory over Lake Wales on Tuesday night in the championship game of the Class 4A, District 7 softball tournament.
Both Lake Region and Lake Wales had playoff spots locked up even prior to the tournament. The playoff pairing will be released Friday morning.
“We definitely played as if we weren't going to go on if we lost, so I think that helped a lot,” Lake Region pitcher Makenna Meadows said. “We didn't have it in our mind, we're going to move on regardless. We played as, if, we weren't going to move on.”
Upset alert: Durant beats Bartow to take district title; Fort Meade loses title in 10 innings
District softball: No-hitter by Lake Wales' Conroy leads all highlights from semifinals
District Softball: Here is a breakdown of Polk's districts and the best bets to reach state
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Trailing 1-0, Lake Region finally got something going against Lake Wales pitcher Anna Conroy in the bottom of the fifth inning. Z Rosa singled to center, and Alicia Bradberry reached on a bunt. Then with one out and runners on second and third, Lawson ripped a double down the left field line to make it 2-0.
Lawson had thought when she got to the plate.
“Just hit the ball or (head coach) John (Bridges) is going to be mad,” Lawson said. “I was pretty confident. I got a hit off her before, so I was pretty confident. I was just looking for a good pitch.”
Lawson has a five-game hitting streak in which she is 3 for 7 with two doubles and four RBIs in her last three games and has raised her batting average 43 points to .257.
Lake Region got good production from its six through nine batters against Lake Wales. They went 3 for 8 with three RBIs with Lawson leading the way.
“She’s actually been hitting the ball very well,” Bridges said. “The bottom of the order is starting to come around. It’s all coming together little by little.”
Lawson came around to score on an error to make it 3-1, and Kiirsten Aldridge doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Until Lawson’s big hit, Lake Wales was nursing a 1-0 lead it got in the first inning. Keira Davis singled to lead off the game and later scored on an error. The Highlanders got runners on first and second with one out and the one-run lead in the first but couldn’t add any more runs.
Meadows settled down and finished with a four-hitter. She struck out 12 and walked one.
“I feel like they were definitely sitting my change-up, and that didn't really help,” Meadows said. “All their hits for us were on change-ups, so it was like it was it was frustrating. But after that inning, I kind of got it together.”
Anna Conroy shut down Lake Region for the first four innings before Lake Region broke though.
“I don't know why we always struggled with her in the first few innings,” Bridges said. “I do know why, she spins the ball well. We just got to get on top of the ball.”
This was Lake Wales’ third loss of the season to Lake Region, although each game as gotten closer and closer.
“We came out early and did well and then we had some chances to get some runs early, but credit to Makenna, she a great pitcher, and she shut us down,” Lake Wales coach Mike Settle said. “We had the one bad inning in the field again and it kind of set the tone for them and then they rode off that momentum. But they're a great club and we know we got some work to do. Hopefully tomorrow we'll find out where we're at, and move forward. Maybe maybe we'll get a chance to play them again.”
7A-10: George Jenkins blanks Winter Haven to win district title
Third baseman Kamryn Pickering slammed two home runs, doubled and drove in six runs to power George Jenkins’ 10-0 victory over Winter Haven in the 7A-10 district championship game. Pickering finished 4 for 4.
The Eagles scored six runs in the first two inning then closed out the game with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Layla Hinojosa pitched a three-hitter with five strikeouts and three walks.
5A-7: Sebring rolls past Auburndale to take title
Auburndale scored three runs in the the top of the fourth inning to tie the score, but Sebring answered with 10 runs in the bottom half of the inning and went on to a 16-6 victory in the 5A-7 district championship game.
Auburndale finished with eight hits. Alyssa Wright went 3 for 4 and an RBI, and Gabriella Gonzalez went 2 for 4 with a run scored.
3A-8: Mulberry puts away McKeel in 8 innings
Mulberry tied the score in the sixth then scored three in the top of the eighth to slip past No. 1-seed McKeel, 6-4, on Tuesday in the 3A-8 district championship game.
The Panthers used small ball to take the lead. With two runners on, Rau bunted and Zoe Peterson scored. Kensington Danforth scored on Lylah Jones’ bunt to make it 5-3, and Loryianys Caston Cruz singled home Alana Rau.
Mulberry managed one run in the bottom of the eighth and had runners on second and third with two outs, but a pop-up to short ended the inning.
Rhiannon Lipham won 1-4 and drove in two runs to help McKeel take a 3-2 lead after five innings. Emma Skipper was 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Danforth went 3 for 4 to lead Mulberry. Jones finished 2 for 4 with an RBI, and Jaylin Oschmurn was 2 for 4 with an RBI.
1A-8: Lakeland Christian shuts out Seffner Christian in final
Leaing by five runs, Lakeland Christian put up five more runs in the b bottom of the fifth inning to close out its 10-0 victory over Seffner Christian in the 1A-8 district championship game.
Mikayla Hampton went 3 for 3 with two RBIs, Rylan Rollyson doubled twice and drove in a run, and Paityn Donalson went 1 for 3 with three RBIs.
Riley Merritt allowed five hits and struck out two.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Four Polk County teams win district softball titles
Continue reading...
