The softball season came to an end for Gainesville High School on Thursday night.

In the FHSAA Class 5A-Region 2 Final, top seed Winter Springs eliminated the visiting Hurricanes, 9-3, denying GHS a second straight final four appearance. Gainesville advanced to the state championship game last year.

The host Bears (22-8) used the long ball to advance to the final four for the first time since finishing as Class 6A state runners-up in 2021.

Alondra Maldonado (3-for-4, 2 HRs, 4 RBI, 2 runs) hit a pair of home runs and Abigail Hooper (3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 runs) and Lauren Daugherty (2-for-3, HR, RBI, one run) added home runs for Winter Springs.

The Bears scored four runs in the second inning and added four more in the fourth inning.

GHS sophomore Leanna Bourdage led the Hurricanes at the plate going 2-for-4 with an RBI, while senior Josie Kirwan also drove in a run and finished 1-for-3.

Senior Olivia Lockerman (1-for-2) scored two of their three runs.

Senior McKenna O’Sullivan, a Santa Fe College signee, started the game in the circle and allowed five earned runs on eight hits with two walks and one strikeout in 3.2 innings of work.

Bourdage gave up three runs on three hits with no walks and six strikeouts in 2.1 innings of relief.

They each gave up two home runs.

Winter Springs pitcher Tiffany Seeman threw a complete-game six-hitter with five strikeouts.

The Bears outhit the Hurricanes, 12-6, and they built a 9-1 lead until GHS scored a pair of runs in the final inning.

Gainesville, which advanced to the region final on Tuesday with a 1-0 win against No. 7 seed Springstead (Spring Hill), finished the season with a record of 17-8.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include Gainesville’s stats