MIDDLEBURG - KK Hagen blasted a grand slam homer on her second at bat of 2024, then crushed another in the sixth inning of a 0-0 deadlocked game as the Middleburg High Lady Broncos softball team has exploded from the gates in week one of area softball action.

Hagan's big bats came at the expense of Paxon in game one which ended as a 10-0 win for Middleburg with Kerra Clarida bombing one in the sixth to finish off the game.

In game three, against a top-rated Baker County squad, Kagan's sixth inning blasted fueled a tough 2-0 win for coach Ashley Houston. Ironically, and maybe a trend is developing, Clarida blasted a solo shot just after Hagan.

"KK and Kerra are arguably the best duo in north Florida," said Middleburg coach Ashley Houston. "They both complement one another so well. Their maturity in making in-game adjustments and sticking to their plan paid off when we needed someone to step up and get it done. And, they did."

Sandwiched between the two games, Middleburg held off a late charge from West Nassau to walk away with a 4-3 win. In that game, Clarida went solo over the fence while Hagan had two hits; one a double, in three at-bats. Clarida's blast scored Hagan.

Down the road at Oakleaf, coach Heather Han has put up football scores in her openers with the Lady Knights ripping Ponte Vedra 13-2 and then Keystone Heights 13-5 as the Knights bats are ringing behind Mighty Mite Meshayla Pettaway who had two doubles and a single against Ponte Vedra; a triple and three runs batted in against Keystone Heights.

Oakleaf's defense held stiff as Keystone Heights had six extra-base hits; doubles from Riley Shuford, Amber Wagner, Ashley Nugent and Kadence Massey and triples from Nattallie Glinski and Abbie Roach, but could not break to home plate.

Keystone Heights rebounded swiftly with a resounding 12-1 win over Ridgeview on February 26. Keystone Heights opened with a 7-6 win over Tocoi Creek.

Against Ridgeview, Keystone Heights' bats exploded for 10 RBIs with Roach doubling and tripling Nugent adding a three-bagger and Wagner and Nugent both homering off Ridgeview starter Siage Bialek.

Ridgeview opened with two wins; a 5-2 over Tocoi Creek and a 6-1 over Ponte Vedra. Against Ponte Vedra, Ridgeview got runs off doubles from Nicole Deschamps and Ky Torrence and a triple from Megan Jeffries.

Against Tocoi Creek, Ridgeview's bats got doubles from Haylee McCrae, Hannah Crosby, Peyton Kirk, Megan Jeffries and Taryn Canik.

Fleming Island opened with a 10-0 loss to Baldwin, a Final Four Class 3A team, then got up on Atlantic Coast 5-1 before rain stopped the game. Lauren Abrams and Emma Massey both doubled to set up Golden Eagle runs.

Orange Park got their first win on Monday with a 7-1 drubbing of Bradford County after losing their openers 14-0 to Palatka and 5-1 to Creekside.

Against Bradford, the Lady Raiders pitcher McKenna Bejarano whiffed 11 batters and also two hits of her own with an RBI.

Upcoming schedules

Thurs., February 29

Ponte Vedra at Fleming Island 6 p.m.

Tocoi Creek at Ridgeview 7:30 p.m.

Middleburg at Nease 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 1

Fleming Island at Clay 7 p.m.

Orange Park at Menendez 6:30 p.m.

Keystone Heights at Providence 6 p.m.

Oakleaf at East Lake 10 a.m.

Monday, March 4

Clay at Orange Park 6 p.m.

Bartram Trail at Ridgeview 6:30 p.m.

Trinity Christian at Middleburg 6 p.m.

Tuesday, March 5

Oakleaf at Fleming Island 6 p.m.

Keystone Heights at Palatka 7 p.m.

Baldwin at Middleburg 7 p.m.