South Plantation advances
BOCA RATON — Jillian Melinek’s run-scoring, three-base grounder through the legs of Spanish River second baseman G.G. Auricchio keyed South Plantation’s 2-1 victory Wednesday night in the Class 8A-Region 4 softball quarterfinals.
Melinek’s shot scored Grace Sobek to tie the game 1-1 in the fifth inning and she would score the go-ahead run a batter later on Ashley Hishon’s sacrifice fly to right field.
“I just saw it go through the second baseman’s legs and into the green so I decided to just keep running,” said Melinek.
The victory was sweet revenge for South Plantation. The Paladins were eliminated by the Sharks a year ago in the regional quarterfinals.
South Plantation (11-7) advances to play St. Thomas Aquinas on May 8 in the 8A regional semifinals. St. Thomas blanked Atlantic, 15-0, to advance.
Hishon did not allow a Spanish River runner past first in the last three innings. She put the side down in order in the bottom of the seventh.
Spanish River’s ends at 15-6. season
Wellington 6, Bartow 1: Wellington senior pitcher Danni Farley had a standout performance with a complete game, two-hitter and 11 strikeouts while also drilling a three-run home run to lift the host Wolverines past Bartow in a Class 8A regional quarterfinal.
The Wolverines (25-2) advanced to the Class 8A regional semifinal and will play at Lakeland-George Jenkins on Tuesday.
Farley, a University of Florida commit, improved to 14-0 on the season on the mound. She crushed a three-run shot over the centerfield wall to help the Wolverines pull away in the third inning with a 5-0 advantage.
Cooper City 10, Mater Academy 0: Katherine Claros drove in six runs, while Jasmin Herrera allowed just one hit and struck out nine as host Cooper City shut out Mater Academy in an 8A regional quarterfinal.
The Cowboys’ offense kicked into gear on their second time through the batting order in the bottom of the third inning. Cooper City scored the game’s first run when Claros lined a single to center field.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Cowboys added three runs to take a four-run lead, then scored six more runs in the fifth inning to end the game.
Cooper City will play Nova on Tuesday a regional semifinal.
Boca Raton 4, Palm Beach Gardens 3: After a rocky start and falling behind, 3-0, after the first inning to Palm Beach Gardens, the visiting Boca Raton Bobcats rallied for win on in a 9A regional quarterfinal win.
After an mistake-filled first inning where the Bobcats had two errors, issued two walks, and gave up a two-run double to the Gators’ Carolynn Van Werne, Boca pitcher Maddy Ihnat shut down the Gators’ offense for the rest of the game, only allowing two hits over the last six innings.
Boca mounted its comeback with a run in the second inning, two in the third inning, and the go-ahead run in the fifth inning.
Gardens ends their 21-10. season