The defending FHSAA Class 1A state champion Trenton softball team is headed back to the final four.
Last night at John A. Vickers Field, solo home runs by senior shortstop Olivia Weaver and sophomore catcher MacKenzie Fisher were the difference in a 2-1 win at home against Williston in the FHSAA Rural Region 4 Final.
“It feels amazing,” said first-year head coach and former Tigers’ assistant Kevin Benson. “To go through the adversity that we went through this year, injuries, and never-ending fluid lineup. In our first 13 games of the year, we had to play 10 different lineups…we knew going into this game tonight that we were going to have a fight on our hands. That’s a very young and talented team.”
Trenton sophomore pitcher Addison Allaire tossed a 4-hitter and gave up only one run in the top of the seventh inning.
“I’m super excited,” Allaire said about going back to the final four. “We’re in a different groove this year. It’s good. We’re climbing an uphill slope going into the final four so I’m really excited and happy to be back.”
She finished the game with seven strikeouts and only one walk.
“I’m pretty proud of my performance,” Allaire said. “I just tried to stay within myself and do what I do, focus on me and not about anything else around me. Just get through it.”
Williston sophomore pitcher Luna Asencion only allowed four hits but two of them were hit out of the park.
In the bottom of the first inning, Weaver hit her second home run of the season, a solo shot to left center field, to give Trenton (17-6) an early 1-0 lead.
“I just knew I had to relax and just get the ball in play, and it worked out for me tonight,” she said.
Weaver missed a considerate amount of this season with a back injury, but the team captain and 3-year starter has made an immediate impact since her return.
“That’s a special kid,” Benson said holding back tears. “She’s the one that’s the been the glue for this team for a while…that’s one of the key contributors that came back that really started to solidify our lineup, solidify us defensively. Getting her back on the field gave a lot of confidence to the rest of the lineup.”
Trenton added some insurance in the bottom of the fourth inning as Fisher hit her third home run of the season, a solo blast to right field, to give Trenton a 2-0 lead.
“I had a 2-0 count, she gave me two balls before that,” Fisher said. “So, I was like, ‘she’s going to go at me at this point,’ so it’s not going to be a changeup, and she had thrown me all outside and high, so I knew she was going to throw to me inside, so I turned on it and it was gone.”
The transfer from Chiefland has had a big year with a .412 batting average.
“Tonight, for her to step in the box there and to stay within herself, wait for her pitch to come,” Benson said. “She loves to hit the outside pitch back side and we’ve worked hard this year with her on being willing to turn on the inside pitch and there it is. She finally gets that foot down early and gets the hands through on that inside pitch and it’s the game-winner for us.”
It ended up being the game-winning RBI after Williston (14-11) scored a run in the top of the seventh inning.
Junior Baylee Cribbs led off the inning with a triple to right field off Allaire and she scored on a ground out by 8th-grader Layla Crago to cut the deficit in half.
However, Allaire struck out freshman Emily Asencion to end the game.
Trenton will be the No. 4 seed and will play top seed Liberty County (Bristol) on Tuesday, May 20, in the FHSAA Rural State Semifinals at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood. The first pitch is still to be determined.
Liberty County (21-3) defeated Franklin County, 9-0, in the Region 2 Final.
Top overall seed Jay was upset by Northview (Bratt), 4-1, in the Rural Region 1 Final and Branford (21-6) defeated No. 2 overall seed Madison County, 13-1, to win Region 3.
FHSAA Softball state playoffs
(teams in the Mainstreet coverage area in bold)
All games at 7 p.m. unless noted
Tuesday, May 13
Class Rural-Region 3 Final
2 Branford 13, 1 Madison County 1
Class Rural-Region 4 Final
1 Trenton 2, 2 Williston 1
Class 3A-Region 1 Semifinals
2 Paxon (Jacksonville) 5, 6 Suwannee (Live Oak) 4
Class 4A-Region 1 Quarterfinals
2 Fort Walton Beach 4, 3 Columbia (Lake City) 3
Class 5A-Region 2 Quarterfinals
3 Gainesville 1, 7 Springstead (Spring Hill) 0