Winter Springs, Hagerty win softball state title
Seminole Athletic Conference softball rivals Winter Springs and Hagerty captured Florida High School Athletic Association state championships on this date during backto-back seasons.
Winter Springs (31-0) capped an undefeated run with a 3-0 win on May 24, 2019, against Bradenton Lakewood Ranch, the nation’s top-ranked team.
Hagerty (27-5) defeated Orange Park Oakleaf 1-0 one year earlier on May 24, 2018.
The banner finishes came after walk-off semifinal wins helped each team reach the Class 8A state final in Vero Beach.
Winter Springs trailed Oakleaf in the 2019 semis 6-4 entering its final at-bat. Nicole Schricker and Kaley Mudge drove in runs before Briana Driscoll connected on a two-out single for a 7-6 win.
The Bears wrapped up their perfect season when then-junior Aynslie Furbush struck out four batters and yielded only one hit and one walk against Lakewood Ranch, the No. 1 team in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 writers’ poll.
Destiny Colgate crossed home plate for Winter Springs after driving in Kennedi Gaton and Taylor Thomas on a triple in the fourth inning. Gaton went 3-for-4 at the plate.
“There was a nice flavor to this game,” said Winter Springs coach Mark Huaman of the state final. “It was unbeaten vs. unbeaten for the state championship, and there’s no arguments about who should be here.”
The Bears defeated Hagerty 4-3 in the region semifinals in 2019. The Huskies won 3-0 over Winter Springs in region play in 2018.
Hagerty hung on to beat Cooper City 1-0 in its state semifinal after Josie Ormsby reached base on a bunt in the bottom of the seventh in just her third at-bat of the season. Kaitlyn Wilson flew out to right field and Ormsby scored from third when a throw rolled into the dugout.
The Huskies came up big yet again in the final inning against Oakleaf in the title game by scoring the game’s only run with two outs in the top of the seventh. Pinch-runner Olivia Lipari scored when Taylor Krapf singled down the third base line on a hit that bounced off the bag.
Oakleaf put the tying run on third, but Tyler Miller fielded a grounder and made a throw to Gabi Mathre at first for the final out. Ashley Worrell struck out five batters and allowed four hits in her final prep outing.
“There are no words to describe it,” Worrell said afterward. “This is the one goal I’ve had for all of my four years here, and I finally accomplished it as a senior.”