MDCA blanks Trinity Christian in Class 2A-2 softball quarterfinals

MOUNT DORA — Leah Marshall and Wynter Craft combined on a two-hitter and Mount Dora Christian pounded out 10 hits Wednesday in a 4-0 win against Deltona Trinity Christian in the FHSAA Class 2A-Region 2 softball quarterfinals at Martha Johnson Field.

With the win, the Bulldogs improved to 18-8 — MDCA’s 11th win in its last 12 games — and will play Orlando Christian Prep Tuesday in the Region 2 semifinals.

Trinity Christian wrapped up its season with an 8-9 record.

While Marshall and Craft get credit for a combined two-hitter, most of the heavy lifting was done by Craft. The sophomore came on in relief in the first inning after Marshall struggled to find the strike zone and pitched the remaining 6 2/3 innings to earn the win. 

The only blemishes on Craft’s pitching line were a fourth-inning double to Taylor Low, a single to Nikki McDermott in the sixth and a walk to Moran Fischer.

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She pitched out of a jam in the first inning, when Bulldogs’ left fielder Brooke Chatham made a diving catch of a sinking liner off the bat of Eagles’ starting pitcher Christiana Ortiz. Chatham then made a perfect relay to Marshall at third to double off Fischer, who failed to tag up after the catch, to complete an inning-ending double play.

From then on, the Bulldogs controlled the game.

Brooke Moss scored MDCA’s first run in the second inning after racing home from first on a throwing error by Trinity Christian third baseman Cali Bates. The Bulldogs added three more runs as the Eagles committed three more errors.

Emily Allen, Hailie Amrhein and Sammi Thomas scored in the frame. Moss recorded the only RBI — of the game — when she singled in Thomas to close out the scoring.

Moss paced the Bulldogs offense with three hits, while Allen, Craft, and Thomas had two apiece. 

Ortiz was tagged with the loss in a complete-game effort. All four runs charged to the freshman were unearned and she walked two.

MDCA is vying for its fourth appearance in the Class 2A Final Four since 2016. The Bulldogs played for the state championship in 2019, losing to Land O’ Lakes Academy of the Lakes.

The 2020 postseason was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s state finals will be held May 18-22 at Legends Way Ballfields in Clermont. 

Softball

Wednesday's game involving local teams

Class 4A-Region 2

Eustis 10, Merritt Island 0

Class 3A-Region 2

Pierson Taylor def. Montverde Academy by forfeit

Class 2A-Region 2

MDCA 4, Deltona Trinity Christian 0

Thursday’s games involving local teams

Class 7A-Region 3

Davenport Ridge Community at East Ridge, late

Class 6A-Region 1

South Lake at St. Johns Creekside, late

Baseball

Thursday’s games involving local teams

Class 5A-Region 2

Land O’Lakes at Lake Minneola, late

Class 4A-Region 2

Eustis at Inverness Citrus, late

Tavares at Orlando Bishop Moore, late

Class 3A-Region 2

The Villages at Orlando First Academy, late

Friday’s games involving local teams

Class 2A-Region 2

Winter Park Geneva at MDCA, 7 p.m.

Real Life Christian at Maitland Orangewood Christian, 7 p.m.