FLEMING ISLAND - Ashlyn Madine smashed a fifth inning two run homer to fuel a four-run surge by the Fleming Island High softball team as the Eagles defeated upset-minded Orange Park, 8-3, for the district 3-5A championship on Thursday at Fleming Island High.

Fleming Island was about 30 minutes ahead of St. Johns Country Day School, a 5-4 winner over Christ's Church Academy on the same night in advancing to the region playoffs along with Middleburg. Middleburg got in on playoff points despite an upset 3-1 loss to Orange Park in their district semifinal.
Orange Park entered the Fleming Island game having defeated top seed Middleburg, 3-1, in the district semifinal with Fleming Island beating Ridgeview, 7-2, in that semifinal.

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Region softball lineups

Region 1-1A: St. Johns Country Day School (11-6) hosted Christ's Church Academy (14-7) on Wed., May 6, with Rocky Bayou Christian (10-8) at University Christian (16-4) in the opposite quarterfinal. Tuesday, May 12 is the region semifinal. Thursday, May 14 is the region final.

Region 2-2A: Keystone Heights (11-15) traveled to second seed Montverde Academy (18-5) on Wed., May 6. Newberry (14-8) hosted Cornerstone Charter (19-5) in the opposite quarterfinal. Tuesday, May 12 is the region semifinal. Thursday, May 14 is the region final.

Region 1-4A: Clay (10-14) hosted Arnold (16-10) on Wed., May 6, while Escambia (9-15) traveled to top seed Columbia (24-3). Tuesday, May 12 is the region semifinal. Thursday, May 14 is the region final.

Region 1-5A: Fleming Island (14-8) traveled to top seed Niceville (20-7, 5A runner-up last year) on Thurs., May 7, with Gulf Breeze (15-11) traveled to Ponte Vedra (17-8) in the opposite quarterfinal. Tuesday, May 12 is the region semifinal. Thursday, May 14 is the region final.

Region 1-5A; Middleburg (12-15) traveled to Tallahassee Lincoln (19-7) on Thurs., May 7, while Tallahassee Chiles (18-3) hosted Milton (16-10) in the opposite quarterfinal. Tuesday, May 12 is the region semifinal. Thursday, May 14 is the region final.

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Fleming Island scored first in the first inning off singles from Paige Courson and Victoria Vazquez to go up 1-0, but the Raiders were not deterred with an Avery Louque single and a bunt from Hailey Juarez before Kamryn Hutchins ripped a double over left fielder Katelyn Collins to tie the game 1-1.

The resurgent Orange Park Raiders lineup, despite a bobbled ground ball from pitcher Jazmyn Petty, got to their next at bat and kept the bats swinging with singles from Shay Smith and Louque getting sandwiched around a Layla Petty double for a 2-1 Raider lead.

Fleming Island tied the score at 2-2 with a walk to Courson and a bunt from Madine in the third in what looked to be a back-and-forth contest between the two squads.

In the fifth, with both pitchers —Emily Williams for Fleming Island and Petty for Orange Park —limiting the baserunners, Courson put a triple ball to the centerfield fence in front of a centerfield homer by Madine that ignited the Golden Eagle bats.

Three singles in a row from Vazquez, Jolee Rich and Abby Maass put the score at 5-2 before a walk to Juarez and fly ball from Collins finished the inning at 6-2.
Orange Park answered slightly with a double from Regan Barnett and run scoring single from Juarez to slice the gap to 6-3.

Fleming Island sliced a handful of chip shots on Juarez, in relief of Petty to get to 7-3 on a bases loaded walk to Vazquez. A wild pitch scored Fleming Island's final run.

Clay Lewis gets ninth district title

CHS Collins: 9Ks

Nine strikeouts by pitcher Malia Collins with a sixth inning strikeout and two snags for outs from second baseman Kaitlyn Collins gave Clay High softball coach Matt Lewis a second consecutive district title as his Blue Devils won a 5-1 championship game over Pedro Menendez High.

"We got through an up and down season with a lot of young players and a handful of upper classmen trying to gel together," said Lewis, finishing at 10-14 and now awaiting a region playoff bid. "In the last two weeks, we have played solid ball and the entire team has come together to get some tough wins. Tonight was icing on the cake."

After an 0-0 tie into the fourth inning, Clay loaded the bases with Amiah Carrubba getting hit by a pitch, a walk to Kaelye Rouw and a single from Brooke Hamilton. Howell laid down a tough bunt that she outran to first base and got Carrubba to home plate. A wild pitch and a walk to D'Reah Watson got a second run with a grounder from Sadie Russo scoring the fourth run.

In the fifth, Yarianis Gonzalez got on base with another errant pitch with Rouw singling her in for the fifth run. Menendez' lone run was a homer in the sixth that Collins answered with an inning-ending strikeout.

From there, Clay's defense held with the Collins' executing at second base on two hard grounders.

In Class 6A, Oakleaf closed their season at 2-17 with a 5-1 district semifinal loss to Tocoi Creek. Oakleaf outhit Tocoi Creek, 7-3, but could not get to home plate with eight baserunners left on base including a base loaded sixth inning. The Knights scored in the seventh off a base loaded single from Desiree Norris.

Keystone Heights falls in district walk-off final

NEWBERRY - Yet another stellar pitching duel ensued in the district 5-2A championship game as Keystone Heights and Newberry faced off Thursday night at Newberry High with Newberry getting an eighth inning grounder to get the win, 4-3.

Keystone Heights had advanced to the final with their own walk off eighth inning win over Interlachen on a Kadence Massey single.

Despite the loss, Keystone Heights (11-15) still advanced to region play with a road trip to second seed Montverde Academy (18-5) on Wed., May 6. Newberry (14-8) hosted Cornerstone Charter (19-5) in the opposite quarterfinal.
With Newberry pitcher Sarah Burns advancing 13 strikeouts and Keystone Heights pitcher Massey punching up six whiffs, the two teams staged a dramatic fifth and sixth inning exchange with Keystone Heights scoring three runs and Newberry putting two more on their first inning solo run. Burns struck out two Keystone Heights batters and Massey got one strikeout in a three out inning to put the game into an overtime eighth inning.

In their end of the fifth, Keystone Heights opened with a solo homer from Lily Asa to tie the game at 1-1 with Bailey Amato singling ahead of a bunt from Rebecca Binet and an RBI single from Chloe Still, which got the Indians a 2-1 lead.

Burns was not happy with the inning and blasted her own two run homer to give Newberry a 3-2 lead.

In sixth, Bella Cumbo hit an RBI double to push Massey across home plate; Massey singling through second base. Massey stopped two of three at bats herself in the sixth off a ground ball and a pop out, but Burns stayed hot with two strikeouts to give Massey one more at bat lineup to face in the seventh. Massey got three outs off a strikeout, fly ball and grounder to put the game into extra innings.

Keystone Heights got first shot of the overtime inning play with Cadie Bowles placed at second, but Cumbo and Massey both popped out and Tayler Buchanan struck out.

With Massey still on the mound, Newberry got a bunt to move placed baserunner Abbie Parker before two grounders to Cumbo moved Parker then got the game winner across home plate.