FORT MEADE — Fort Meade has a dangerous lineup, but head coach Eric Grace knows that the key to any kind of a postseason run will depend on the pitching.
Both hitting and pitching were in fine form in the Miners’ 16-1 victory over Marathon on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the Rural, District 8 softball tournament.
Fort Meade (16-6), the top seed in the district, will play host to Moore Haven at 7 p.m. on Thursday night. The Miners are currently No. 3 in the region.
Gracie Taylor was solid as she allowed one unearned run on just one hit with four strikeouts and a walk in four innings. She is Fort Meade’s No. 1 pitcher and lowered her ERA to 3.08. She was supported by a 19-hit output from the lineup.
“Honestly, if you break down our season, when our pitching is good, we’re a great team,” Fort Meade coach Eric Grace said. “When our pitching is not so good, we roll as our pitching rolls. So if our pitchers are throwing strike, we can play defense. Our strength is hitting the ball. We can hit the ball with the best of them.”
The 2-through-5 hitters were especially tough as the combined to bat .833 (10 for 12) against Marathone. The four hitters drove in 10 of the 16 runs and scored eight runs.
Sophomore second baseman Marleigh Carroll and went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and a run scored. Cailynn Johnson hit a line-drive home run to straight-away center — easily over the 220-foot marker — and also went 2 for 4 with three RBIs. Moriah Willams and Kenya Faulk each had three hits, including a double. Williams added three RBIs with two runs scored, and Faulk drove in one run and scored twice.
Leadoff batter Nakaia Pinkston and Saraih Goodson also drove in two runs. Kaylee Webb, the No. 8 hitter, and Kiersten Christiansen, the No. 9 batter, each had three runs.
7A-10: Jenkins, Winter Haven to play for title
Neither George Jenkins nor Winter Haven found it difficult to advance to the championship game in the 7A-10 district tournament. George Jenkins advanced after Haines City forfeited, and Winter Haven routed Ridge Community, 16-1, in three innings.
Catcher Grace Conklin led Winter Haven with a pair of hits and four RBIs. Finely Aycock doubled and drove in two runs. Maci Fontenot allowed one hit, an RBI double to Rhianna Jones, and struck out five.
Winter Haven (6-19) will play at George Jenkins (11-14) at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
6A-6: Bartow will meet Bloomingdale in final
Bartow cruised to a 15-0 win over Tampa Bay Tech on Monday and will play Bloomingdale in the 6A-6 district championship game at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Yellow Jackets (23-3) had just three hits as they took advantage of eight walks, one hit batter and four errors. Ryleigh Knowlton singled and drove in three runs, and Maddie Hamilton singled and drove in two runs.
5A-7: Auburndale to play top-seed Sebring
Rylee Bass went 2 for 2 and drove in three runs to lead Auburndale to a 12-1 victory over Lee Gibson in the 5A-7 district final.
Abby Black went 1 for 2 with two RBIs. Jordan Honeycutt nd Alaya Jackson combined for a two-hitter.
4A-6: Long-time rivals Lake Wales, Lake Region to meet in another district final
Lake Wales ripped six extra-base hits in two innings in the Highlanders’ 18-0 victory over Orlando Jones.
Kiera Davis and Paiten Dunaway each tripled, and Sydney Greene, Pyper Barnhardt, Lana Davis and Raleigh Prine each doubled. Kailey McRae went 2 for 3 with three RBIs, Dunaway finished 2 for 2 with two RBIs and Barnhardt went 3 for 3. Barnhardt also pitched a three-inning no-hitter, striking out seven of the nine batters she faced.
In a rare district semifinal close game, Lake Region’s Kailyn Reeder hurled a one hitter in the Thunder’s 3-0 victory over Innovation.
Reeder, who also went 2 for 4 with an RBI and run scored, struck out 14 and walked one batter in seven innings. Kaydence McCarty went 2 for 4 with a run scored, Brittney Sowell had a pair of hits, and Ladela Bradberry went 1 for 2 with an RBI.
Lake Region (8-14) will play at Lake Wales (20-6) at.7 p.m. in the final on Thursday.
1A-8: Lakeland Christian read to face top-seeded Seffner Christian in final
Lakeland Christian erupted for 10 runs in the first inning and defeated Oasis, 13-0, in the 1A-8 district semifinals.
Paityn Donalson homered and went 2 for 3 with three RBIs. Ally Williams doubled and finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs, Parker Ray went 3 for 3 with an RBI.
Kinley Lawson and Kia Cover combined for a five-inning, three-hitter.
Lakeland Christian and top-seeded Seffner Christain will play at 6 p.m. in the championship game at Westside Park.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Fort Meade’s 19 hits dump Marathon plus all district semis highlights
Reporting by Roy Fuoco, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
