Schmidt’s walk-off single lifts Wellington
Senior comes through with clutch hit to lift Wolverines into Friday’s regional final
WELLINGTON — Wellington senior first baseman Katie Schmidt drilled a walk-off single to center to score Nelia Peralta as the host Wolverines defeated Bartow, 3-2, in dramatic fashion in a Class 8A regional semifinal on Tuesday.
Wellington (26-2) advanced to the Class 8A regional final and will host Winter Springs or Hagerty on Friday.
Peralta, a sophomore infielder and Mississippi State commit, hit a one-out single in the seventh. Senior shortstop Sarah Longley, who will play next season at University of Florida, hit a double off the top of the center field fence as the Wolverines had runners at second and third with one out. Schmidt, who will play softball at Palm Beach Atlantic, had her second walk-off hit in the playoffs.
“I was ready for the opportunity and it’s so exciting for our team,” Schmidt said. “It gives us a lot of momentum.”
Wellington junior pitcher Kate DeSimone tossed a complete game and struck out four.
Bartow jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on Emily Ruley’s RBI double. The Wolverines escaped further trouble as junior left fielder Cat Glenn threw a runner out at home plate to complete an inning-ending double play.
The Wolverines tied the score in the bottom of the first as Glenn reached on a throwing error and later scored on Schmidt’s sacrifice fly.
Bartow took the lead in the fourth as Ruley hit a ground ball single into left, which scored the runner from second after a close play at the plate. DeSimone had a pivotal strikeout to strand the bases loaded later in the inning.
The Wolverines responded in the bottom of the fourth as sophomore right fielder Jolie Skivington ripped a two-out RBI single to left to score Glenn to tie the score at, 2-2.
“We have won so many games late this season and we did it again,” Wellington coach Mark Boretti said. Coral Springs Charter freshman pitcher Brianna Godfrey went 3 for 3 with five RBIs and two runs scored against Pompano Beach.