South Lake ready to join area softball elite

MOUNT DORA – The South Lake High School softball team waited more than a year for its chance to avenge last year’s season-opening 16-6 loss to Mount Dora Christian Academy.

But when the Eagles finally got their opportunity, they made the most of it.

Destiny Johns had three hits, including two triples, and scored three runs to pace a 17-hit attack Thursday in South Lake’s 13-4 win against the Bulldogs at Martha Johnson Field. The Eagles hammered out six extra-base hits in the win against three Bulldogs hurlers.

With the win, South Lake improved to 8-1 – the program’s best start since going 8-1 in 2009. That year, the Eagles advanced to the regional quarterfinals with a 12-5 record.

MDCA dropped to 5-6 with the loss.

“We definitely came into (Thursday’s) game with a little bit of a chip on our shoulders,” said South Lake coach Kahley Novak. “Our girls were ready to play. They adjusted to everything (MDCA) threw at them. They squared the ball up and made a lot solid contact.

“(MDCA) is a good team, but they made a few mistakes and we took advantage of them and that’s what good teams do.”

South Lake put the game away with an eight-run sixth inning that was aided by four Bulldogs errors, which led five unearned runs. The Eagles sent 12 hitters to the plate and had four hits, including a bases-clearing double by Hailey Werning, along with two-bagger by Alanna O’Brien, which scored two.

MDCA entered the inning with momentum after tying the game at 4-4 in the home half of the fifth following a single to left by Leah Marshall, which scored Emily Allen and Hallie Edwards.

However, Wynter Craft, who blasted a solo homer in the first inning to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead, and Marshall were stranded on the basepaths after O’Brien, who came on in relief of starting pitcher Caylee Elder following Marshall’s single, retired the next two hitters to end the rally.

“When Alanna got those two outs, I think it served as a spark,” said Novak, who played at East Ridge and is in her third season as South Lake coach. “And it carried over into the sixth inning for us. We got a couple of hits to get us started and we approached every at bat with an aggressive mindset and got some pitches to hit.”

Johns and Nia DeBenedittis, South Lake’s top two hitters in the lineup, combined for six hits, four runs scored, three RBIs and two stolen bases. Johns, who went 3-for-5, including being called out for hitting the ball while outside the batter’s box, hit both of her triples while leading off an inning.

“(Johns) is an athlete and she wants to be on the field,” said Novak. “When she puts the ball in play, her teammates want to back her up and get her around the bases. It’s so important for us to have a good, solid leadoff hitter to get us going.”

Marshall took the loss for the Bulldogs. The senior came on in relief of starting pitcher Kayla Enix in the third inning.

Enix kept the Eagles off balance the first trip through the batting order with an array of off-speed pitches. But, when the Eagles greeted Enix in the third inning with a triple and RBI single by Johns and DeBenedittis, MDCA coach Josh Swearingen quickly went to Marshall.

Marshall pitched three solid innings before the Bulldogs imploded in the sixth inning. Craft came on in the seventh to spell Marshall and allowed a run – Johns’ third of the game.

In the Bulldogs’ seventh, O’Brien allowed a leadoff double to Allen, but retired the final three hitters to secure the win.

South Lake entered Thursday’s game with a sizzling .370 batting average and increased that mark by .010 points. Besides Johns and DeBenedittis, the Eagles got two hits apiece from Kyla Leppin, Payton Parkes, and Samantha Hudson.

The Bulldogs managed eight hits off Elder and O’Brien. Four players – Allen, Craft, Marshall and catcher Hailie Amrhein – had two hits apiece, including a homer by Craft and a double by Allen.

For the past several seasons, the softball powers in Lake and Sumter counties has been East Ridge and Montverde Academy in the south, along with Eustis and MDCA in the north, and South Sumter in Sumter County. Each of those teams, except for East Ridge, has reached the state semifinals – the Final Four – since 2016.

Novak feels South Lake is ready to join that list.

“I feel like we can compete with anybody,” said Novak. “We want to play with the best and be successful. You can put us against anybody right now, and we’re going to give them a good game.

“We’re going to keep feeding off that success and as long as we do that, we’re going to keep winning.”