Sophia Kardatzke, University Christian seek breakthrough in FHSAA Class 2A softball semifinal

At University Christian, Sophia Kardatzke knows batting. And Sophia Kardatzke knows pitching.

But more than anything else, the sophomore pitcher and her teammates know winning, and what it takes to turn a promising softball season into a great one.

"It's amazing," Kardatzke said. "We fought all season, we took our hard losses and we pushed back to get back to where we are."

She hits hard. She throws hard. And beating University Christian is very hard.

Powered by an ace pitcher and a deep and seasoned lineup, University Christian returns Tuesday to the Florida High School Athletic Association final four, taking on Oxbridge Academy in the state semifinals at Legends Way Ball Fields in Clermont.

The final four visit is the third in as many postseasons for the Fighting Christians (18-8), still seeking a first-ever state title. Last year, UC qualified for the final before losing to Canterbury, and nearly the entire roster is back for the return trip. UC also reached the semifinals in 2019, before the 2020 campaign was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.

By now, Florida's softball world is thoroughly familiar with UC pitcher Kardatzke, with the arm to send fastballs thumping into gloves before batters even respond and the all-around strength to club the ball a country mile.

For veteran University Christian coach Keith Stroud, UC's season tells the story of a team with the depth to succeed in the latest chase for a championship.

"You can't just have a good person out there [pitching]," Stroud said. "It takes a great team effort."

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Catching a cannonball

What does it feel like to catch a cannonball?

Ask University Christian catcher Kate Dell'Alba. The freshman faces the challenge of catching Kardatzke's speediest deliveries, including the high ones and the low ones, week in and week out. Last time out, there were 108 in all.

"My hand's pretty sore after every game," Dell'Alba said.

Maybe the softballs are feeling sore, too.

At the plate, Kardatzke is batting .565 with 13 doubles, 15 home runs, 49 runs batted in and a dizzying OPS of 2.073. She finished the regular season atop the statewide MaxPreps home runs list for Florida, and in the top 15 nationwide.

Coming into the season, Kardatzke said she wasn't really thinking about a state home run title. But homer by homer, the long balls started to add up, including three multi-homer games on the year.

"I got my pitches and they were just solid contact hits," Kardatzke said.

She pitched her first game for UC as a sixth-grader, a season in which she went 8-3, steadily growing into a nearly-unhittable force in the circle.

Stroud said he's watched Kardatzke hone her pitching approach over the years.

"Everybody knows that when she steps in the circle over there, she's a hard thrower and she's going to throw the ball hard," Stroud said. "But what I've stressed with her is just hitting locations, hitting spots, and I think she's really improved in that.

"I think instead of being just a hard thrower, she's evolving into a great pitcher."

In 120 2/3 innings, Kardatzke has allowed only 43 hits while striking out 229 batters. On those rare occasions when the UC ace (17-7, 1.04 ERA) has gotten into trouble, the problems have most often stemmed from command issues and the base on balls (56 times so far).

"I go at every batter like it's the same pitch, the same out, one at a time, and just make my strikes," Kardatzke said.

For the players behind her in the field, it's like getting front-row seats to a demonstration of power pitching in action.

"She makes the ball move a lot and it's great to watch," Bourgholtzer said.

How they got here: University Christian, Clay reach final four

Teamwork makes the difference

University Christian is no one-player squad.

"I tell the kids, you've got a great kid out there pitching, but we have to be able to play some defense," Stroud said. "And I think we've had some nice, timely hitting, and that's what it takes to win a state championship."

UC showed off its glove work several times during Friday's rain-delayed 3-1 victory at Trinity Christian, including a pair of excellent plays by Bourgholtzer at second base in the late innings.

"She trusts me and I trust her," Bourgholtzer said. "When she throws strikes, I'll make the plays behind her."

The batting order has depth, too. Although Kardatzke is the main menace to softballs in the heart of the lineup, connecting for extra bases in nearly one-third of her plate appearances in 2022, UC can come up with the clutch hits up and down the order. Six starters bat .300 or higher, including Bourgholtzer (.371), Dell'Alba (.348) and Jaleigha Harris (.377).

University Christian has developed its teamwork through a schedule that's far from typical for a Class 2A team, including several of Northeast Florida's premier programs like Baldwin, Keystone Heights and Oakleaf.

And for all the team's youth (shortstop Erin Hutchens is the only senior on the roster), UC holds postseason experience in abundance. Five players, among them Kardatzke and Harris, played on the UC team that qualified for the Class 3A state semifinal in 2019.

Dell'Alba said UC is focused on the lessons learned during those state trips in their last three years.

"One small mistake doesn't mean you lose the game," she said. "You've just got to pick yourself up."

CLASS 2A SOFTBALL SEMIFINAL

University Christian (18-8) vs. Oxbridge Academy (23-1-1)

Legends Way Ball Fields, Clermont

5 p.m. Tuesday

In their return to the final four, University Christian encounters the top-ranked Class 2A opponent in Oxbridge Academy, based in West Palm Beach. The Thunderwolves bat .388 as a team with an elite lineup, led by Bella Ruggiero (.632, 17 2B, 5 HR, 42 RBI), Luna Curran (.488, 12 2B, 6 HR, 46 RBI) and Chandler Barry (.328, 6 HR, 21 RBI). Western Kentucky signee Curran has been as dominant in the circle as any pitcher in Florida: 22-1 with an 0.21 ERA, 289 strikeouts and only 34 hits allowed in 130 1/3 innings. Oxbridge Academy has only allowed 18 runs as a team all season, and only one team, Plantation American Heritage, has kept Oxbridge from a perfect season, with a 2-0 shutout on April 21 (the teams also played a March 8 game that halted with a tie score in extra innings). The winner plays for the Class 2A title at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, against Fort Myers Evangelical Christian or Orlando First Academy. 

Clayton Freeman covers high school sports and more for the Florida Times-Union. Follow him on Twitter at @CFreemanJAX.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: High school softball: University Christian ready for state semifinal