‘Is this real?’ Deltona wins Volusia County’s first softball state championship

CLERMONT — One thought ran through Kyleen Martell’s mind as she waited.

Don’t drop it.

With two outs in the top of the seventh inning Friday at Legends Way Ball Field, the Deltona Wolves led Lake Wales 6-3 in the 4A State Championship game. The Highlanders’ final batter popped the ball up to the second baseman, Martell, who squeezed it to clinch the title.

She screamed and joined her team’s dogpile near the mound.

“I was like, ‘Is this it? Is this real?’” Martell, a senior, said.

It was.

The Florida High School Athletic Association title is the first in Deltona program history and the first by any Volusia County softball team.

“I’m so happy to make the history and bring the title to Volusia County,” head coach Lindsay Ingram said. “These girls, one through nine, have just been absolutely spectacular. I’m so proud of the group. That was a tough one. We have worked and worked all year long, and to end like this, it can’t get any sweeter.”

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Ingram has missed the playoffs only once in her coaching career, but her 2022 team was the first one to break through to the final four.

The championship contest, which was originally scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Friday, was pushed back to 6 p.m. after rain moved through Clermont earlier in the afternoon. Ingram said she didn’t think the delay affected her team.

It certainly didn’t throw off either offense.

After a scoreless top of the first, the Wolves got on the board first, plating two runs in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore Sophie Strempel singled to left. A few pitches later, she advanced from first to third on a wild pitch and then came home when Lake Wales sailed a throw into left field while trying to nail her at third.

Deltona also scored its second run on a throwing error.

The Highlanders fired back with an RBI triple in the second, but the Wolves used three triples to tack on three more and push the score to 5-1 during their turn at the plate.

Senior Katelyn Sarvis tripled to lead off the frame and scored on a groundout by junior Emily Donohue. Then, Veronica Puckett and Strempel lined back-to-back triples, with Strempel’s knock bringing in Puckett.

Strempel scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Morgan Davis.

Lake Wales junior Zamya McBurrows led off the top of the third with yet another triple and touched home to make it 5-2 when the next batter grounded out.

Then, the scoring slowed.

The Highlanders cut the deficit to 5-3 in the fourth by taking advantage of a Deltona throwing error with a runner on third.

Strempel helped the Wolves add one more with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning.

But at 6-3, the scoring was over.

Junior Katie McCaw started on the mound for Deltona and pitched the full game. She struck out nine batters while allowing seven hits and issuing five walks and one hit-by-pitch.

“Katie battled,” Ingram said. “With a couple batters, it was (10-pitch at-bats). I commend that girl for having ice in her veins and still going at them.”

Two freshmen, Macey Murphy and Anna Conroy, pitched for Lake Wales. Murphy tossed 1 ⅓ innings, and Conroy went the rest of the way.

In the top of the seventh, the Highlanders put a runner on second with two outs against McCaw, but she induced a popup to Martell to seal Deltona’s victory.

“That was literally the best moment of my life,” said Strempel, who finished 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored. “I was so happy.”

The Wolves closed their season with a 20-3 record. Lake Wales was 21-7.

“This is a great group of girls,” Martell said. “Throughout my four years, this is probably the most hard-working. We had our crazy moments with each other, but I can say we definitely went past it and pushed through, and I love that about this team. I’ll forever be grateful.”

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Deltona High makes history, wins Volusia County’s first softball title