The Gainesville Hurricanes had no problem in the 5A-Region 2 Semifinals on Wednesday night against Wesley Chapel.

Now the only thing standing in the way of GHS and a second trip in three years to the 5A state semifinals is the team that knocked them out in the region final a year ago.

Junior Leanna Bourdage pitched a four-hitter with 13 strikeouts and allowed one unearned run and also went 4-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and three runs scored as the host Hurricanes cruised past Wesley Chapel, 9-1, on Wednesday.

Because the game was moved back a day from Tuesday to Wednesday because of weather, second-seeded Gainesville (16-6) has a quick turnaround for the region final on Thursday at No. 1 seed Winter Springs, the team that beat the Hurricanes, 9-3, in this round a year ago.

On Wednesday, against sixth-seeded Wesley Chapel, Gainesville used three-run innings in the third, fourth, and sixth innings to slowly pull away.

“I was really happy with the way we swung the bats tonight,” Gainesville coach Chris Chronister said. “Leanna did a really good job in the circle and our bats were rolling tonight and that’s what we need to do.”

In the circle, Bourdage had nine strikeouts in the first four innings and allowed the first hit in the fourth inning. For the game, she scattered four hits and allowed only an unearned run in the sixth inning.

The Texas A&M commit also had two singles and two doubles, scoring runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings.

“I was seeing the ball well from the start,” Bourdage said. “My mentality personally is focusing on my goals and what I’m playing for and things like that. I know I’m not going to be perfect, but I will be able to make adjustments in the game.”

The Hurricanes’ No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 hitters in Bourdage, shortstop Lana Renicks, and center fielder Emma Barton combined for eight hits, eight runs scored and had three RBI. Chronister realized how key this part of the order can be.

“They did a lot of damage, and that’s what we needed,” Chronister said. “We have to keep the pressure on, even with Leanna in the circle. We don’t need to sit back and just try to hold on to a 1-0 or 2-0 lead and think that she’s not going to give up any runs. We needed to continue to hit during the game and I thought we did a good job of that.”

Barton’s two-RBI triple down the right field line put GHS on top in the third, with Makenna Young following with a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 advantage. Bourdage had an RBI single in the fourth and two more runs scored on an error by the Wesley Chapel (20-9) shortstop for a 6-0 advantage.

Wesley Chapel had five errors in the game, and two errors in the sixth helped bring in the final three GHS runs.

With the state semifinals at stake, Gainesville now faces a quick turnaround and a road trip on Thursday.

“They (Winter Springs) are a great hitting team, and I won’t say anything other than that,” Bourdage said. “They deserve it. But the circumstances are different than they were a year ago, so that may help us.”

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

1 Madison County 3. 2 Branford 2 (9)

Class 3A-Region 2 Semifinals
1 Santa Fe (Alachua) 15, 4 Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) 0 (4)

Class 4A-Region 1 Semifinals
1 Columbia (Lake City) 11, 4 Arnold (Panama City Beach) 1 (5)

Class 6A-Region 2 Semifinals
2 Gainesville 9, 6 Wesley Chapel 1

Thursday, May 14

Class 3A-Region 2 Final

2 Eustis at 1 Santa Fe (Alachua)

Class 4A-Region 1 Final

2 Baker County (Glen St. Mary) at 1 Columbia (Lake City)

Class 6A-Region 2 Semifinals

2 Gainesville at 1 Winter Springs