LONGWOOD — Ryleigh Stone hasn’t even needed a full year at Columbia.
She’s earned first-rate statistics. A winning reputation. A right-on-target nickname.
“We’ve called her Stone Cold all year long,” Tigers coach Joe Saucier said.
Now, a state championship.
Columbia’s freshman pitcher delivered under pressure again, slamming the door on rallies in the sixth and seventh innings and defeating Lake Wales 3-2 in the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 4A championship game on May 23.
The Highlanders (25-7) loaded the bases in the sixth and seventh innings and scored runs in each. Both times, Stone survived, the last time after Columbia right fielder Marlee Hunt caught Mattie Cockrell’s fly ball to deep right.
Emily Delgado’s two -run double in the fourth, Columbia’s first hit of the game, and Alannah Lord’s RBI single in the fifth were all the offense the Tigers needed.
The Tigers (29-3), closing the year on a 16-game winning streak, add a second title to join their previous FHSAA championship from 2013.
Stone, battling through 120 pitches, struck out nine and limited Lake Wales to five hits, all while cheered on by vocal traveling support that included much of the Tigers’ football and basketball squads.
This is a developing story.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Columbia wins FHSAA softball championship, 3-2 over Lake Wales in 4A
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
