Things didn’t start well for the Buchholz softball team in Tuesday night’s FHSAA Class 6A-District 3 semifinal against visiting Bartram Trail (St. Johns).
It got better, but then it got much worse.
The No. 3 seed Bears (13-12) built an early 4-1 lead before the No. 2 seed Bobcats (17-9) scored seven unanswered runs for an 8-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
However, Bartram Trail scored eight runs in the top of the sixth en route to a 16-8 win at Buchholz.
“This is really nobody’s fault but mine, this loss is on me as a coach, I really need to do better,” said Buchholz coach Will Hooper. “We’ve really had a great season this year, probably at least record wise, one of the better seasons we’ve had…I guess the pressure just got to us. We were up, feeling pretty good. Bartram never gave up. Much credit to them. They’re a really good team.”
Bartram Trail scored in the top of the first inning after the first two outs were recorded by freshman pitcher Madison Hooper.
Bears’ junior Cecilla Perry (2-for-5, 4 RBI) had a single to center field to drive in sophomore Makenna Borgmeyer (3-for-5, 4 RS, 2 RBI), who had doubled, for an early 1-0 lead.
Buchholz answered in the bottom of the first inning on a throwing error by the catcher. That brought home freshman Grace McDaniel, who had walked, to tie the score.
Hooper (3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 2 K) retired the side in order in the second inning but ran into some trouble in the top of the third.
Bears’ starting pitcher Rommeney Patrey, who pitched a complete game, also helped her team at the plate. The sophomore (2-for-3, RBI) had a single to left field with one out, followed by a fielder’s choice by Borgmeyer.
Perry delivered again with a double to right field, and freshman center fielder Shaelynn O’Brien (3-for-5, 2 RBI, RS) singled to center field to score Perry for a 4-1 lead.
The Bobcats scored three of their own in the bottom of the third inning.
An RBI single by freshman second baseman Avery Fullam cut the deficit in half at 4-2, and consecutive RBI groundouts to first base by junior right fielder Elizabeth Munson and freshman designated player Jordyn McClain tied the game at 4-4.
Buchholz added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth for an 8-4 lead with the last two runs of the inning coming on a 2-run home run to center field by cleanup hitter Quaniyah Robinson.
It was the junior’s fourth home run of the season.
“We’ve been trying to work with her swing a little bit,” Hooper said. “Her mindset last year was nothing but home runs and just swinging for the fence, and this year we’ve been trying to get her to just hit more line drives, hard ground balls. I think she hits it harder than I do, so the home runs will come. We felt like she was due for a home run, and we were fortunate enough to get it.”
Bartram Trail, which outhit Buchholz, 14-5, broke through in the top of the sixth inning, scoring eight runs on four hits off relievers McDaniel and Fullam, but there were also four walks and three errors in the inning.
“The energy was high for us, and we just couldn’t seize the moment and keep it going throughout seven innings,” Hooper said.
After Robinson’s home run, Patrey (7 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 4 K) retired the final 11 batters to send the Bears to Thursday’s title game.
Top seed Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) defeated No. 4 seed Oakleaf (Orange Park), 5-1, in the other district semifinal.
Tuesday’s loss, coupled with Forest (Ocala) upsetting top seed Horizon (Winter Garden), 6-3, in the Class 6A-District 4 semifinals, could possibly end the season for the Bobcats, who were the No. 6 seed in 6A-Region 1.
The four district champions and the next four highest ranked teams will make next week’s regional quarterfinals, so Buchholz needs Tocoi Creek and Lake Minneola, who plays Forest for the 6A-4 title, to win on Thursday.
Then, it’s wait and see on Friday during the selection show on the FHSAA YouTube channel, but there’s certainly a chance.
“It’s very slim,” Hooper said. “We really wanted that (regional bid). I hate, you know, for one game to kind of shatter that because we really did have a really good season compared to the past and it’s like you hate to kind of end the season on this kind of note. When you have such a good season, you want to come back and at least get one more shot.”
FHSAA Softball District Tournament scores
(teams in the Mainstreet coverage area in bold)
Class Rural-District 6 at Fort White
Monday, April 27 (Quarterfinals)
5 Fort White 18, 4 Taylor County (Perry) 1
3 Dixie County (Cross City) 9, 6 Bell 7
Tuesday, April 28 (Semifinals)
1 Branford 5, 5 Fort White 0
3 Dixie County (Cross City) 6, 2 Union County (Lake Butler) 5
Thursday, April 30 (Championship game)
3 Dixie County (Cross City) at 1 Branford
Class Rural-District 7 at Higher Seed
Monday, April 27 (Quarterfinals)
4 Chiefland 11, 5 Hawthorne 1
Tuesday, April 28 (Semifinals)
1 Trenton 15, 4 Chiefland 0
2 Williston 9, 3 Bronson 6
Thursday, April 30 (Championship)
2 Williston at 1 Trenton
Class 1A-District 5 at Higher Seed
Monday, April 27 (Semifinals)
1 Peniel Baptist Academy (Palatka) 12, 4 Saint Francis Catholic Academy 2
2 St. Joseph Academy (St. Augustine) 12, 3 Countryside Christian 0
Class 2A-District 3 at Higher Seed
Tuesday, April 28 (Semifinals)
1 Baldwin 10, 4 Bradford (Starke) 5
2 Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) 4, 3 Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville) 2
Class 2A-District 5 (Semifinals)
2 Keystone Heights 1, 3 Interlachen 0 (8)
Thursday, April 30 (Championship)
2 Keystone Heights at 1 Newberry
Class 3A-District 2 at Higher Seed
Monday, April 27 (Semifinals)
2 Suwannee (Live Oak) 15, 3 Godby (Tallahassee) 0
Wednesday, April 29 (Championship)
2 Suwannee (Live Oak) at 1 Wakulla (Crawfordville)
Class 3A-District 5 at Higher Seed
Tuesday, April 28 (Semifinals)
1 Santa Fe (Alachua) 26, 4 Eastside 0
2 Palatka 9, 3 North Marion (Citra) 0
Thursday, April 30 (Championship game)
2 Palatka at 1 Santa Fe (Alachua)
Class 4A-District 3 at Higher seed
Tuesday, April 28 (Semifinals)
1 Baker County (Glen St. Mary) 7, 4 Ed White (Jacksonville) 0
2 Columbia (Lake City) 15, 3 Riverside (Jacksonville) 0
Thursday, April 30 (Championship game)
2 Columbia (Lake City) at 1 Baker County (Glen St. Mary)
Class 5A-District 5 at Higher Seed
Tuesday, April 28 (Semifinals)
3 Deltona 4, 2 Belleview 2
Thursday, April 30 (Championship)
3 Deltona at 1 Gainesville
Class 6A-District 3 at Higher Seed
Tuesday, April 28 (Semifinals)
1 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) 5, 4 Oakleaf (Orange Park) 1
3 Bartram Trail (St. Johns) 16, 2 Buchholz 8