LONGWOOD — What more could a coach ask for from his team?
Trailing by three runs, Lake Wales put the game-winning run on base in each of the last two innings, but the rallies fell short. Pitcher Ryleigh Stone got Mattie Cockrell to fly out to right to clinch Columbia’s 3-2 victory over Lake Wales on Saturday, May 23 in the championship game of the 2026 FHSAA Class 4A Softball State Championships at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park.
Lake Wales, playing in its 10th state tournament, finished runner-up for the fifth time.
“We obviously wanted the win,” Lake Wales senior center fielder Keira Davis said. “We didn’t come out with it, but we left everything on the field. We did everything we could, and I’m very proud of my team for how far we made it.”
The game was the last one for head coach Mike Settle, who is stepping down after 11 seasons to start the college softball program at Florida Polytechnic. This was the Highlanders’ fourth state tournament under Settle, and second runner-up finish. He led them to the state title in 2023.
“They fought hard,” Settle said. “They really did. Just sometimes, the ball doesn’t bounce like you need it to bounce. We came up there in the seventh and had two strikes on Karsyn Maddox and two strikes on Kailey (McRae), and they both came through and had hits.”
Trailing 3-1 going into the final inning, Lake Wales put runners on first and second with two outs. McRae singled to left field to drive in courtesy runner Bailey True to make it 3-2. McRae reached second on the throw home.
Kyra Williams was intentionally walked to load the bases, then Cockrell flied out to right to end the game.
“Birdie just had a fly out at the end, but she made some adjustments during the game,” Settle said. “We dug ourselves in a little bit of a hole, and then we worked our way out of it. We just didn’t finish the job at the end.”
It was a pitching duel early. Lake Wales starter Zamirya McBurrows had a no-hitter going through three innings with only a hit batter reaching base. The first hit she allowed, however, drove in two runs.
McBurrows hit the first two batters to reach base in the fourth inning. Columbia batters were crowding the plate, and her screwball was running in in them. Then with one out, Emily Delgoda ripped a triple down the right-field line and two runs scored. A double play ended the inning.
In the fifth inning, McBurrows allowed back-to-back, one-out singles then hit her fourth batter of the game with two outs. She then walked a batter to load the bases then Alannah Lord singled to drive in the third run of the game.
Settle then replaced McBurrows with freshman Pyper Barnhardt, who pitched 1 1/3 shutout innings to give Lake Wales a chance.
“She (McBurrows) had given me everything she had, and Pyper was ready,” Settle said. “Pyper was ready at any time during the playoff run, and Pyper came in and threw well.”
Davis reached on an error to start Lake Wales’ attempt in the sixth inning. She scored on Willams’ two out single. The Highlanders went on to load the bases, but McBurrows struck out to end the inning.
“I don’t like to lose, but when you look at the whole picture of the season, it was a good run,” Settle said. “The girls fought hard and we came up a little bit short.”
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lake Wales finishes 4A state runner-up as rally falls short vs. Columbia
Reporting by Roy Fuoco, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
