No. 1 Lake Brantley softball shuts down Lake Mary, advances to Class 7A regional final
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Many high school softball coaches will tell you that it’s hard to beat the same team three times in a season, let alone four.
But that’s exactly what top-seeded Lake Brantley did on Tuesday night when it blanked Seminole County rival, Lake Mary, 6-0, in a Class 7A, Region 1 semifinal at the LBHS Softball Complex. The win follows earlier triumphs of 10-2, 6-1 and 3-0.
Junior Gabriella Mike, a Duke commit, turned in yet another stellar performance for the Patriots; this time, a complete-game shutout with nine strikeouts.
It was the fifth consecutive shutout, 12th overall, for Lake Brantley (23-3), ranked No. 1 all classes in the FHSAA Power Rankings.
Lake Brantley junior Gabriella Mike pitched a complete-game shutout, striking out nine, to lead the Patriots past Lake Mary, 6-0, in a Class 7A, Region 1 semifinal.
Photo courtesy of Lake Brantley softball
“Being in a position to have to beat a team as good as Lake Mary for a fourth consecutive time is a tall task,” said Lake Brantley coach Jacob Stanley, “especially when Gabby has already made three starts against them. With those factors in mind, she was dominant from start to finish. No walks, and nine strikeouts. It was special to watch.
“As a team, it was another complete game,” Stanley said. “The defense buckled down when they needed to and the offense got going to pull away and secure the victory.”
With Mike in control, Lake Brantley staggered its scoring to win another one. The Patriots took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Kiley Strott smashed a double, scoring Catharine Conway.
Lake Brantley then padded its lead in the third inning when Auriana Turner smashed a two-run home run to left field. The Patriots then chalked the game away in the sixth when Hayley Lounsberry and Bristin Bordeau scored on bases-loaded walks, and Kiara Beltre singled in Mike.
“The team played really well,” said Strott, who led the Patriots with two hits. “Gabby did a really good pitching and we backed her up with our defense and bats.”
Lake Brantley next hosts Port Orange-Spruce Creek in the region final on Friday. The Hawks (15-6) defeated Ocala West Port, 11-1, in another region semifinal.
