EAGLE LAKE — Lake Wales had lost to Lake Region three times this season, including nearly two weeks ago in the district championship game, and were again facing Makenna Meadows, the county’s top pitcher. The Highlanders, however, remained confident.
In a back-and-forth game where the the two teams traded the lead, Lake Wales rallied for five runs in the sixth inning then held on for an 8-7 victory in the Class 4A, Region 2 semifinals.
If Lake Wales (16-9) can win one more game, it will be the third time that the Highlanders lost at least three times to an opponent, including in the district championship game, then won in the regional playoffs and advance to the state tournament. Lake Wales lost four times to Bartow in 1995 and three times to Lake Region in 2023 and won in the regional finals both times.
Lake Wales, which was 0-3 to Lake Region this year, will travel to play Eau Gallie on Thursday in the regional finals.
“This was two really good teams going at it, and we were just fortunate to come out on top,” Lake Wales coach Mike Settle said. “They’re a great ball club. They’ve had our number al yard, and it was a close game. We coame up whom clutch hits tonight.”
Most of those clutch hits came from the bottom half of the lineup.
Lake Wales’ top hitter Keira Davis, who had been 4-for-9 against Lake Region this year, was held without a hit for just her third game all season, but the Highlanders’ six through nine batters came through against Meadows. They had five of Lake Wales’ eight hits and drove in five runs.
Karsyn Maddox led the way with a 3-for-3 effort at the plate with two doubles. She doubled home the Highlanders’ first run in the second inning then led off the fourth win a double and scored to give Lake Wales a 3-2 lead.
“She’s a great pitcher, honestly, but I just stayed back,” Maddox said. “I took away my load because I recognized I was late on her last game, so I just kind of adjusted from there.”
Maddox’s third hit of the day put runners on first and second and Johelis Rivera-Colon, who had led off with a single, scored when Zamirya McBurrows reached on an error.
The big hit then came when catcher Kyra Williams, the No. 9 batter, doubled to drive in two runs and give Lake Wales the 6-5 lead.
“I’m not an opposite-field hitter, so I was trying to think like middle out, middle out, and I just had to get it in the green,” Williams said. “When I saw it go, I just ecstatic.”
Kirsten McRae, whose got the win with clutch pitching in relief two years ago, singled home two more runs after Davis reached on an error to lead the bases. The Highlanders still had runners on second and third with no outs, but Kailyn Reeder came in and retired three straight batters to end the inning.
No lead was safe in this game, however. Makayla Lawson led off the bottom of the sixth with a double and after a fielder’s choice with everyone safe, Bailee Ellis doubled home two runs to make it a one-run game.
Lake Wales pitcher Anna Conroy then got Kirsten Aldridge to ground out to short and first basemen Leslie Franco-Zapien threw across the diamond to retire Ellis at third for the final out.
Conroy allowed a two-out walk in the seventh then struck out the final batter.
Lake Wales had leads of 2-0 and 3-2, but a three-run fifth, highlighted by Aldridge’s two-run doubled, gave Lake Region a 5-3 lead, but the Highlanders didn’t get down.
“It was all or nothing,” Maddox said. “I mean we got the game to lose, but we’re here for each.”
3A-3: Mulberry’s rally falls short
Trailing by four runs in the top of the seventh inning, Mulberry rallied for two runs but Dunedin held on for a 6-4 victory in the 3A-3 region semifinals.
With Dunedin leading 6-2, Lylah Jones doubled with one out to drive in two runs and bring the tying run to the plate. However, Dunedin pitcher got the next two Mulberry batter to ground out to end the game.
Mulberry fell behind 3-0 after two inning but got back in the game on A’lejah Washington’s two-out, two-run double.
3A-3: Holy Names shuts out McKeel
McKeel matched Tampa Holy Names with each team getting six hits, but the Wildats could not plate any of their baserunners. Meanwhile four of Holy Names’ seven baserunners — one batter walked — en route to a 4-0 victory in the 3A-3 region semifinals.
Emma Skipper land Hannah Brenneman each had two hits to lead McKeel.
1A-2: Foundation eliminates Lakeland Christian
Foundation scored in every inning by the second inning and defeated Lakeland Christian, 11-1, in the 1A-2 regional semifinals.
Lakeland Christian scored in the top of the first inning but was held to just four hits overall and committed three errors. Paityn Donalson had two of the hits and scored the Vikings’ only run.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Softball: Lake Wales upsets Lake Region in back-and-forth regional semifinals
Reporting by Roy Fuoco, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
