- The Trenton Tigers defeated the Williston Red Devils 2-1 in the Rural-Region 4 Final on May 19 to advance to the Rural State Semifinals.
- Junior pitcher Allison Allaire pitched a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts and helped Trenton score single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
- Trenton won despite only three hits against Williston's Luna Asencion, with a key runner's interference call ending Williston's bases-loaded threat in the sixth inning.
The Trenton Tigers are going back to the Rural State Semifinals for a third straight year and are looking for a third consecutive state title.
But the Williston Red Devils made Trenton work for it in the Rural-Region 4 Final on Tuesday.
Junior pitcher Allison Allaire pitched a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts and host Trenton scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to slip past Williston, 2-1, and advance to the Rural State Semifinals on Tuesday, May 19, at Boombah Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood.
This game was one of the few played in the area due to a day-long rain in North Central Florida. Trenton coach Kevin Benson said they worked hard on John Vickers Field to get the game in and it paid off.
“We tarped the field last night and we don’t have a full tarp, so we kind of patchworked it together,” Benson said. “We had some holes in our patchwork, but I have a great support staff with a bunch of parents and coaches coming here around 3:30 or 4 (pm) to untarp it and that worked.”
Trenton (23-3) defeated Williston (13-11) for the third year in a row in the region final and for the second year in a row by a 2-1 score. The Tigers won despite managing only three hits against Williston pitcher Luna Asencion.
“That (Williston) is a very scrappy, feisty, very athletic team in that dugout over there,” Benson said. “They are young and they played really hard tonight.”
Asencion’s sister, Emily, pitched in the two previous meetings against Trenton, which were won by the Tigers 11-0 and 12-2. Emily’s older sister, Luna, allowed only three hits with four walks in six innings on Tuesday.
Trenton started the scoring in the bottom of the fourth, as Allaire walked to lead off and scored with two outs on a line drive by Madison Hinote that went off the pitcher’s and second baseman’s glove for a hit.
Williston’s big chance came in the top of the fifth. Dixie Adams singled with one out. Layla Crago singled as well and Luna Asencion drove in Adams with a double to tie the game 1-1.
But with runners on second and third and one out, Allaire retired the next two batters to end the threat.
Trenton took the lead back 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by senior Presley Akins.
The Tigers then got a break in the top of the sixth. With the bases loaded, Williston was called for runner’s interference on a ground ball to second to end the Red Devils’ threat.
“I watched that play. I watched it because I was right there,” Allaire said. “Nobody else knew what was happening.”
With a one-run lead heading to the final inning, Benson challenged Allaire and she responded, striking out back-to-back batters and getting a fly out to left field to end the game.
“He (Benson) says when he makes me mad, I throw better,” Allaire said. “I really like this group of girls. We always come out and fight for each other. No one is an individual and we all are a team. I’m just really happy I get to do this with this group of kids.”
FHSAA softball state tournament
(teams in the Mainstreet coverage area in bold)
Tuesday, May 12
Rural-Region 4 Final
1 Trenton 2, 2 Williston 1
Wednesday, May 13
Rural-Region 3 Final
2 Branford at 1 Madison County, 7 p.m.
Class 3A-Region 2 Semifinals
4 Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) at 1 Santa Fe (Alachua), 7 p.m. Class 4A-Region 1 Semifinals
4 Arnold (Panama City Beach) at 1 Columbia (Lake City), 6 p.m.
Class 6A-Region 2 Semifinals
6 Wesley Chapel at 2 Gainesville, 7 p.m.
