North softball falls just short of state berth
Lady luck wasn’t on the side of the North Fort Myers Red Knights Friday for their Region 6A-3 championship game against Auburndale.
Kayla Sheffield hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning to break open a tie game as the Hounds (and the elements) held off the Knights 7-5 and a trip to state semifinal playoffs.
Every time the Red Knights tried to climb back into the game, something happened to knock them back down. Some of it was self-inflicted, some not.
The cruelest cut came in the sixth inning when North cut a five-run deficit down to two with the tying run at the plate and a runner on second with one out. Then the lightning alarm went off, sending both teams off the field for the second delay of the evening.
Coach John Johnson said while the girls fought hard, the timing of things wasn’t on their side.
“Somebody has to win, someone has to lose. Things just didn’t go our way,” Johnson said.
More than 90 minutes later, Sylvia Welsh got a strikeout and a pop-up to end the threat, then retired the side in the seventh to seal the win for Auburndale just before midnight.
The game started nearly 90 minutes late because of lightning, and it was apparent that North was tight in the beginning. Danielle Bieberle led off the game with the first of her two triples off North starter Mackenzie Peterson and scored on Sydney Smith’s single to make it 1-0.
Later in the inning, Dez Maklonado hit a grounder in the hole. Jessie Valerius fielded it and threw high to first. The ball skidded off the glove, allowing Kayle Sheffield to score to make it 2-0.
North (23-3) calmed down and fought back as McKenzie Corbitt brought home Peterson with a single in the second, and tied the game on Shelby Coyne’s RBI single.
“We were tight the first inning or two, especially with that delay. Once they settled down they felt more comfortable with their home fans,” Johnson said
That momentum was short-lived. In the fifth, Auburndale (18-10-1) broke it open. Hailey Rose singled and Bieberle reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Sheffield smacked a homer over the auxiliary fence in left-center field for a three-run tally to make it 5-2.
In the sixth, Bieberle’s second triple and a Smith RBI double with two out made the score 7-2.
The Red Knights retook the momentum as back-to-back doubles by Peterson and freshman Emma Johnson drove in three to cut the lead to 7-5 before the lightning shot the rally in the ear.
“We knew we had good hitters coming up to where we could come from behind. We thought we could pull it out.” Johnson said.
Smith went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. The top of the Hounds’ order went 6-for-10 with five RBI and six runs scored.
Peterson’s rough night on the mound was balanced out somewhat by her two doubles, RBI and two runs scored. Sajarie Jones went 2-for-4 and also scored twice for North.
Thus ends a difficult season for the Red Knights, whose year started with the death of their head coach John Keyes and ended two games short of their stated goal of winning states.
The team will lose three seniors, but 10 others return, as well as bring in numerous freshmen with lots of travel ball experience. With the rich tradition North has in softball, it’s not about rebuilding, but reloading.
“We have a tradition going back to the ’80s. With the fan support for our games. I feel bad for the girls in coming up short. It’s tough to lose, but we’re proud and they can hold their heads high,” Johnson said.