Godfrey leads Coral Springs Charter over West Boca Raton

BOCA RATON — Junior Brianna Godfrey has been Coral Springs Charter’s top hitter and premier pitcher all season, and she showed why Tuesday night.

Godfrey drove in three of the Panthers’ nine runs and pitched 4 ⅓ scoreless innings as Coral Springs Charter beat West Boca Raton 9-4 in Boca Raton.

“She’s our catalyst and our dominator in the circle,” Panthers coach Mark Montimurro said. “When she gets on and she makes things happen and she puts us on the board, we feel pretty confident playing behind her.”

At the plate, Godfrey went 3-for-5 with a pair of extra-base hits. After Grace Derstine drove in the game’s first run with a bunt single in the fourth inning, Godfrey launched a double with the bases loaded. Two runs scored on the hit, and a third scored on a throwing error. The Panthers added a fifth run in the fourth inning on a double by Isabella Bertorelli.

“I was just thinking, ‘Sit back, wait for it, be patient, wait for my pitch,’ ” Godfrey said.

West Boca did not fold after falling behind, scoring a pair of runs in the fifth inning on an error and an RBI single by Ali Landry. Coral Springs Charter got the runs back in the sixth inning, though.

Godfrey and Bridget Dunham each drove in a run with a single, and the Panthers added a third on a fielder’s choice.

“[We were] trying to take more pitches, find our way on base, recycle through our lineup and get back to the top of our order, where our run producers can do some damage,” Montimurro said.

Coral Springs Charter scored one more run in the seventh inning on an RBI triple by Godfrey, holding the Bulls at bay.

In the circle, Godfrey started the game and pitched three scoreless innings before Sophia Bertorelli relieved her.

Godfrey did return to pitch in the fifth, inducing an inning-ending popout. She came back for the seventh inning and closed out the game, finishing with seven strike outs while giving up just two hits.

“My curveball was on tonight; it was working really well,” Godfrey said. “I threw that a lot.

“My screwball was pretty good too. But for the most part, it was my screw and curve that were getting me through the game.”

The victory Tuesday was the 10th in a row for the Panthers, who are seeking their sixth consecutive championship after winning titles from 2015-2019.

“This is totally different animal,” Montimurro said. “It’s a different group. It’s a less-experienced group, for the most part — a lot of young kids.

“I knew it was going to take a long time to put it together. Hopefully, we can put the pieces together at the end of this month and make a run.”