Fourteen Palm Beach County teams began regional softball play last week, and eight remain for today’s second round.
Park Vista, Jupiter, Wellington, Spanish River, Dwyer, American Heritage, Grandview Prep and Lake Worth Christian won their games Wednesday or Thursday, and will compete today in the regional semifinals (Classes 5A-9A) or regional finals (Classes 1A-4A).
Taylor Trimble and Park Vista will travel to Jupiter today to play the Warriors in a Class 9A regional semifinal. (Photo by Daniel Owen)
State semifinals berths will be on the line for small schools, while big schools will play for a berth in the regional finals on Friday.
Here’s our preview. All games are at 7 p.m. unless noted:
Class 9A
Park Vista (19-5) at Jupiter (24-3): This highly anticipated contest features a pair of state-ranked teams with state championship hopes. Park Vista and Jupiter met three weeks ago in Jupiter, with the Warriors winning 9-5. But Cobras starter Jaime Scher, who was injured, did not pitch in that contest. She returned the following week, and has not missed a beat. She will be countered by Jupiter junior Ally Costa, who has put together a tremendous season on the mound for the Warriors (22-3, 1.07 ERA). Both pitchers have been backed up ably this year by solid defense and clutch hitting. Bailey Phillips (25 RBIs) came up big for Jupiter in its district championship-clinching win against Palm Beach Gardens, while Ashley Goebel (.388), Rachel Frankhouser (.409) and Megan McCants (.344) have been solid all year. Park Vista has gotten tremendous offensive production out of its veteran lineup, particularly Vanessa Rubio (.500), Savannah Julylia (.480) and Taylor Trimble (.456). This one could go either way.
Prediction: Jupiter 3-2
Class 8A
Wellington (19-9) at Bartow (20-5): Both the Wolverines and Yellow Jackets are coming off shutouts in last week’s regional quarterfinals, with Wellington and starter Brennan Cain earning a 2-0 win over Lakeland-George Jenkins, and Bartow defeating Royal Palm Beach 1-0 in 12 innings. Runs could be equally as hard to come by in this one, though the Wolverines have plenty of pop in their lineup. Senior Mary Rodriguez (.446), junior Cynthia Whitty (.403), and freshman Sarah Longley (.444) have been standouts at the plate for Wellington, which has six players batting above .330. Bartow can score runs, too, averaging nearly 11 over its final five regular-season games.
Prediction: Wellington 4-3
Fort Lauderdale-St. Thomas Aquinas (20-4) at Spanish River (20-3): The Sharks draw a softball powerhouse in the Raiders, who advanced to the Class 7A state semifinals last season, and won consecutive state championships prior to that. But expect Spanish River to be up to the task. Junior Liz Gollin has been among the area’s best on the mound this season, and is coming off a 13-strikeout performance against South Plantation in the regional quarterfinals. Mikaela Triddy helped back her up with a double and two RBIs. The Sharks haven’t lost since dropping a 4-3 decision to Seminole Ridge nearly a month ago, though the Raiders – 10-0 winners against Coral Springs-Coral Glades in the regional quarterfinals – have been equally as hot. St. Thomas, with pitcher Brooke Stock leading the way, has lost once since March 12.
Prediction: St. Thomas Aquinas 4-2
Class 7A
Dwyer (11-17) at South Fork (23-3): The young Panthers face a huge hurdle in the state-ranked Bulldogs, who routed West Boca Raton 15-0 in the regional quarterfinals and currently hold a 12-game winning streak. Dwyer has faced challenges this season with a lineup composed almost entirely of freshmen and sophomores, but has come up big in the postseason. The Panthers upset the No. 1 Bulls to win the district championship, with freshman Alexa Jaloski throwing a no-hitter. Dwyer then pounded out 14 hits in its 9-6 win against Okeechobee in the regional quarterfinals, with junior catcher Megan Cogburn and freshman outfielder Ariel Girardi each going 3-for-4. Coach Ed Geiger will have his team prepared for this one, but getting past South Fork will be a challenge.
Prediction: South Fork 9-2
Class 4A
American Heritage (18-2) at Fort Myers-Bishop Verot (18-8): Both the Stallions and Vikings won their regional semifinal contests in routs last week, winning their games by a combined 23-0. American Heritage starter Addison Simpson pitched a perfect game against Fort Myers-Gateway Charter last Thursday, striking out 15 in a 13-0 Stallions’ win. Bishop Verot defeated Oxbridge Academy 10-0, picking up its third straight shutout and fifth straight win. The Vikings will be a big test for American Heritage on the road, but the Stallions have a top pitcher in Simpson and a lineup that is capable of scoring runs in bunches. Simpson, Amber Swinarski, Melissa Tropeano and Ashley Findeisen all are batting .432 or higher for the Stallions, who have averaged 11.3 runs during their past six games.
Prediction: American Heritage 4-2
Class 2A
Lake Worth Christian (21-5) vs. Grandview Prep (13-3) at Spanish River Athletic Park: The Defenders and Pride will meet for the second time in two weeks following Grandview Prep’s 3-2 win April 14 in the District 7-2A championship game. The teams also met March 17, with the Pride winning 6-2. Expect another good one here. Both Grandview Prep and Lake Worth Christian won their regional semifinal contests in routs, with the Pride defeating Islamorada-Island Christian 15-0, and the Defenders overwhelming Homestead-Colonial Christian 21-0. Runs should be harder to come by here.
Prediction: Grandview Prep 5-3
