South Lake and Deltona reach state title games
It took six innings for Deltona’s offense to catch up with the brilliance of its pitcher, but once that happened it was another win for the Wolves and one step closer to the ultimate goal.
After 5.5 scoreless innings with only 1 hit between Deltona and Green Cove Springs Clay, the Wolves broke up the pitchers’ duel with 4 runs on 4 hits in the sixth on their way to a 4-0 victory in a Class 4A state semifinal on Thursday at the Legends Way Ball Field complex.
About four hours later, the other Central Florida squad received a stellar shutout from its pitcher as South Lake of Groveland defeated Gibsonton East Bay 1-0 in a 5A semifinal.
That sets up the first FHSAA fastpitch final appearance for the Wolves and Eagles today, and the first state championship game for South Lake in any sport.
The big hit for Deltona (20-3) in its win was a 2-run single by Sophie Strempel that scored Emily Donohue and Veronica Puckett in the pivotal sixth. That was more than enough for starting pitcher Katie McCaw, who had 8 strikeouts while giving up 3 walks and just 1 hit.
“I just focused on getting any kind of hit, playing it small, and get the runners in,” Strempel said. “[McCaw] always has it. I just sit there [at shortstop] and look pretty while she does all the work.”
Wolves coach Lindsay Ingram knew it was just a matter of breaking through with the way McCaw was pitching in her near-no-hitter.
“She was in locked-in mode,” Ingram said. “She was a little upset with that dribbler at the end [a seeingeye single in the seventh that broke up her no-hitter], but she’s a fighter out there.”
McCaw needed to fight out of trouble in the top of the sixth before her offense came through. After striking out the first Clay batter, she gave up back-to-back walks with a stolen base and wild pitch mixed in for runners on second and third with one out. The Wolves got out of the jam with good defense on a bunt and a flyout to right field.
Kyleen Martell also had an RBI single for Deltona, scoring Strempel in the sixth inning. The Wolves play a 4A final at 4:30 p.m. today against Lake Wales (21-7), which won 3-1 against Key West (19-4-1).
Deltona is the second team in Volusia County history to play for a title since the FHSAA converted to fastpitch softball in 1988. Spruce Creek was a runner-up in 2006.
South Lake (19-11) starting pitcher Alanna O’Brien was efficient in her complete game shutout, striking out 2 while scattering 4 hits and a walk.
“At this point, we are relying on our defense, which is on fire right now,” Eagles’ coach Kahley Armstrong said. “We expect the defense and Alanna to keep us in games.”
The only run South Lake needed came in the fourth inning with the junior pitcher contributing. O’Brien led off with a single, and her courtesy runner, Jessica Merk, scored on a double from Ella Carroll.
“We’ve had different key players come up big for us with clutch hits,” Armstrong said. “Today it was Alanna and Ella, which is different from our last game. It’s a classic way to play softball.”
In that previous contest, it was Destiny Johns coming up big, and she went 2-for-3 from the leadoff spot for the Eagles on Thursday.
South Lake will face Middleburg (19-11) in today’s 5A championship at 7 p.m., which means Armstrong, a former UCF player, will be paying some attention to another game leading into state final. Her alma mater will play in the NCAA Super Regional for the first time against national No. 1 Oklahoma at 4:30 p.m.
“That’ll be tough,” she said. “I’ll get updates, I’m sure.”
South Lake is the sixth Lake County finalist and the fourth in seven seasons. Eustis won a state title a year ago and was a runner-up in 2017. Mount Dora Christian finished second in 2019 (and 1999) and Montverde Academy was a 2016 runner-up.