Monarch, Douglas set for regional rematch

After losing a four-run lead and momentum, Monarch proved a resilient bunch.

Junior Emily Estroff went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, including the gamewinner in the sixth, while earning the win on the mound to send Monarch past host Western, ranked 10th in Florida’s Class 9A, 5-4 in a Region 3-9A quarterfinal on Wednesday.

Monarch will visit No. 7 Douglas in regional semifinals after the Eagles’ 13-1 victory earlier Wednesday. The Knights were District 11-9A runner-up to Douglas.

Estroff, a first-team AllCounty selection a year ago, struck out eight in her complete-game effort.

Monarch broke the 4-4 tie in the sixth when Estroff doubled to right center to bring home Aubrey McNulty. It could’ve been a two-run double, but Kayla Ball was ruled out after missing home plate on her slide.

With the tying run on second and winning run on first, Estroff had Courtney Monaco fly out to center to end it.

Western senior first baseman Leah Carman’s solo homer to left center, the first of her career, tied the game at 4 in the bottom of the fourth.

Monarch took what appeared would be a commanding 4-0 lead in the third only to have Western respond with three in the bottom of the frame.

Sarah Goldman’s tworun home run to left capped the Knights’ fourrun inning.

Kayla Leibman got the Wildcats back in it with a two-out three-run homer to left.

PARK VISTA 8, PB

GARDENS 6: The first time they met, nothing went right for Park Vista.

Facing softball power Palm Beach Gardens, the Cobras were run-ruled, falling 13-0 in the team’s regular season contest on Feb. 24.

What a difference 10 weeks makes.

On Wednesday, Park Vista avenged that defeat, knocking off the Gators in the Class 9A regional quarterfinals. The Cobras will face Jupiter, who beat Boca Raton 5-0, on Tuesday in the regional semifinals.

“We’re very young,” said Park Vista coach Donna Burnett. “It was very early in the season and I don’t think we were ready for the big stage of a typical Park Vista/Gardens game. I’m just thrilled with the way they’ve developed and become more confident as time has gone on.”

Park Vista freshman centerfielder Morgan Keith led the team’s offensive explosion at the plate, finishing 3-4 with three RBI’s. Madison Taylor picked up a complete game victory for the Cobras. On the other side, Crystal Grimaldo went 2-4 with a home run and 2 RBI’s in defeat.

The Gators took an early 3-2 lead, but the Cobras rallied in the fourth. After Keith scored on a throwing error to tie the game, Vista scored two straight runs on a bases-loaded walk and hit-by-pitch.

Holding a 6-4 lead in the

sixth, Keith gave the Cobras some insurance with a two-run single. Palm Beach Gardens scored two in the seventh, but Taylor induced the game-ending groundout to squash the Gators’ comeback attempt. — Wells Dusenbury ST. THOMAS 2, CORAL GLADES 1: Alley Masocco’s RBI single in the eighth inning sent St. Thomas Aquinas past Coral Glades in extra innings in Region 4-8A play.

Masocco, a Seton Hill signee, scored Jocelyn Lozano with a smash to center field for the winning run.

“We needed to get them out so we didn’t go through their 2-3-4 hitters again. And we needed to win the game right here and we did,” St. Thomas coach Bryan Baucom said. “[Gabriella] Nori pitched a great game for us. It’s good things are maybe starting to click now. We’ve had a very up-and-down season.”

St. Thomas Aquinas (19-9), which has won four state championships under Baucom, will advance to the region semifinals May 9. The regional finals are May 12.

The loss ends Coral Glades’ season at 18-7. It was the program’s best season in school history, according to coach Rick Waldorf.

Coral Glades jumped ahead 1-0 in the top of the first inning. Vic Diaz drove in Alley Taylor with an RBI single down the right-field line. But that would be the only run Nori would give up.

The lanky left-handed junior struck out nine in picking up the win.

Kristen Sacca knocked in St. Thomas Aquinas’ first run when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the third inning.

I’m just thrilled with the way they’ve become more confident.” Donna Burnett, Park Vista coach