High school softball: South Lake stops River Ridge to earn berth in state semifinals

Frank Jolley, Daily Commercial
·3 min read
The South Lake High School softball team celebrate as fireworks go off after the Eagles beat New Port Richey River Ridge 4-2 Thursday in the Class 4A-Region 2 championship game at the Eagles Nest in Groveland.
The South Lake High School softball team celebrate as fireworks go off after the Eagles beat New Port Richey River Ridge 4-2 Thursday in the Class 4A-Region 2 championship game at the Eagles Nest in Groveland.

GROVELAND — The South Lake High School softball team is going dancing.

Alanna O’Brien tossed a four-hitter and had an RBI, and Destiny Johns tripled in two runs in a three-run fifth inning Thursday to lift South Lake to a 4-2 win against New Port Richey River Ridge in the Class 5A-Region 2 championship game at the Eagles Nest.

With the win, South Lake improved to 18-11 on the season and will play Gibsonton East Bay at 2 p.m. Thursday in a Florida High School Athletic Association state semifinal game at Legends Way Ballfields in Clermont.

It will be South Lake's second trip to the state Final Four. The Eagles made the trip in 2008, but lost 6-3 to Naples in a Class 3A state semifinal game in Plant City.

South Lake softball coach Kahley Armstong celebrates with her players Thursday after the Eagles beat New Port Richey River Ridge 4-2 in the Class 5A-Region 2 championship game at the Eagles Nest in Groveland. With the win, South Lake advances into next week's FHSAA state semifinals at Legends Way Ballfields in Clermont.
South Lake softball coach Kahley Armstong celebrates with her players Thursday after the Eagles beat New Port Richey River Ridge 4-2 in the Class 5A-Region 2 championship game at the Eagles Nest in Groveland. With the win, South Lake advances into next week's FHSAA state semifinals at Legends Way Ballfields in Clermont.

High school softball: South Lake tops Eustis 1-0 in classic pitchers' duel

More softball: South Lake tops Okeechobee in 5A-2 regional quarterfinals

“We made this our goal the moment I got here,” said South Lake coach Kahley Armstrong. “And we worked for it and worked and it finally paid off. About halfway through this season, we changed things a little and became more of a slash-type thing because we were striking too much and popping up, and since then the girls have bought in to what we are teaching and coaching.

“This is where we wanted to be.”

But, it wasn’t easy.

River Ridge took a 1-0 lead three batters into the game on doubles by Jordan Sheets and Sophie Johnson. It could’ve been worse after O’Brien muffed a routine pop fly and the Royal Knights loaded the bases with two outs.

From there, however, O’Brien got Emma Golumba to ground an inning-ending fielder’s choice. After that, O’Brien allowed only one runner — Victoria Nearing, who hit a solo homer in the sixth — to reach second base.

“I think Alanna came out a little bit nervous,” said Armstrong. “She’s also still battling an injury to her ankle, but after she got out of that inning, you could tell she was on it. She only made one bad pitch after that. “

FIVE SPRING FOOTBALL QUESTIONS: LaQuentin Taylor enters second season as South Lake coach

South Lake finally got going in the fourth inning.

Johns led off with a single to right and raced to second on a sacrifice by Nia DeBenedittis. She was still there with two outs, but O’Brien tied the game with double into the left-field corner, scoring Johns.

In the fifth, Ella Carroll and Valeria Rolon led off with singles for South Lake. Sheets retired the next two hitters and seemed primed to get out of the jam without any damage, but Johns laced a triple down the right-field line that scored Carroll and Rolon.

DeBenedittis followed with a single that scored Johns with South Lake's final run of the game.

O’Brien picked up the win. The junior went the distance and allowed two runs on four hits, while striking out seven. O'Brien and Johns paced the Eagles’ offense with two hits apiece.

Sheets was tagged with the loss. She, like O'Brien, tossed a complete game, allowing eight hits and striking out two.

Johnson had two hits for River Ridge, which closed out its season with a 16-12 record.

Also on Thursday, Mount Dora Christian Academy lost 4-0 to Orlando First Academy in the Class 2A-Region 2 finals. The Bulldogs, which appeared in the Class 2A Final Four four times since 2016, closed out their season with a 20-10 record.

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: High school softball: South Lake stops River Ridge to earn final four berth