SOFTBALL

Hernando holds off Lake Region in 4A-3 final

Mike Cobb
Ledger correspondent
Hernando catcher Hannah Taylor comes up with the ball as Lake Region's Armani Wright looks to the ump after being thrown out at home by the shortstop with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. Hernando held on to a one run lead over the Thunder 4-3.

EAGLE LAKE – Lake Region had opportunities to pull out a come-from-behind win in the Class 4A regional softball final Friday night.

The Thunder, however, couldn’t get the runs in that they needed and fell to Brooksville Hernando, 4-3, ending their bid for a return trip to the FHSAA State Finals.

Lake Region won the Class 7A state championship in 2019, the last time the FHSAA had the state playoffs. The 2020 season and playoffs were shut down by the Covid pandemic.

In essence, the Thunder, who had 10 seniors on their team, were playing Friday night as a defending state champ.

Hernando shortstop Solaris Genberg jumps over a batting helmet after she scores the go-ahead run as Lake Region catcher Kylee Baldwin looks to first base in the sixth inning.

“It’s heartbreak, not so much for me. I feel for them (Lake Region’s seniors),” Lake Region coach John Bridges said.

With Auburndale and McKeel also losing Friday night, this will be the first time since 1989 – and only the second time since the FHSAA state softball playoffs began in 1988 – that Polk County will not have a team advance to the FHSAA state semifinals.

In their loss Friday night, the Thunder (18-12) had a chance to pull out a win in the seventh, loading the bases with nobody out in the seventh on a pair of walks and a bunt single. And they had their Nos. 3, 4 and 5 hitters coming up.

Hernando pitcher Ava Braswell got Breasia Thomas and Kylie Baldwin to hit grounders to shortstop Solaris Genberg, who got the force out at home, and Braswell finished off the game with a strikeout.

“Bases loaded with no outs, I thought we’d at least get one,” Bridges said. “Their shortstop made a couple of good plays.”

Lake Region's Alex Wright celebrates with teammate Bre'Asia Thomas as she scores the tying run in the fifth inning on a wild pitch.

Hernando (25-4) took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first off of starting pitcher Alex Wright with two runs coming on a home run by Olivia Townsend.

Gina Gallegos came on to pitch for Lake Region in the second and pitched the rest of the game holding the Leopards to one run.

Lake Region cut it to 3-1 on an RBI single scoring Rae Roland, who had led off with a triple. The Thunder were denied two more runs, however, on one of the key defensive plays of the game by the Leopards. With two outs and runners on second and third, Genberg made a diving stop on a ground ball hit by Kaley Fail and was able to get up and throw out Fail at first preventing both runners from scoring.

The Thunder had another chance to score in the third putting runners on second and third with one out but couldn’t get a run in.

“We had opportunities the whole game. We had second and third a couple of times and didn’t take advantage of it,” Bridges said. “Hats off to them. I wish them the best. We just didn’t take advantage of our opportunities.”

Lake Region tied the score in the fifth with another RBI single by Thomas and a sacrifice fly to deep shortstop by Baldwin.

Hernando shortstop Solaris Genberg is late on the tag as Lake Region's Armani Wright dives head first into third with the bases loaded in the seventh inning.

Hernando regained the lead in the sixth loading the bases on three infield singles with one out and scoring on an infield groundout to second base.

For the game, Lake Region had nine hits but left eight runners on base.

Hernando advances to the Class 4A state semifinals and will face Plantation American Heritage next Thursday.