Lady Pirates fall in Final Four

The Braden River High softball team saw its historic season come to an end with a 2-1 loss to St. Cloud Harmony in the Class 4A state semifinals May 9 at the National Training Center in Clermont.

Harmony took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when a called third strike hit the dirt and skipped past catcher Ashley Allard. Allard retrieved the ball and threw down to Tira at first base. Tira appeared to have the ball in her glove before Harmony’s Brianne Kimura ran into Tira, knocking the ball out of her glove and allowing a run to score.

Harmony added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning when Mirabella issued her first walk of the game. Brittany Bruns eventually came around to score on a squeeze bunt by Beth Newcott.

Trailing 2-0, Braden River started to rally in the bottom of the seventh inning.  Brianna Maxa led off the inning with a double. Two batters later, Alyssa Patneaude hit a single to drive in pinch runner Jada Shopfer. Brooke Ribarich drew a walk and Kenya Yancy hit a single, which was tipped by Harmony pitcher Lauren Harris to keep it from going into center field, to load the bases with two outs.

Allard stepped up to the plate and swung at the first pitch to fly out to right field to end the game.

Mirabella finished the game with 16 strikeouts and allowed just three hits and a walk. Maxa went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored; Patneaude went 1-for-3 with a RBI and Yancy went 1-for-3 with a walk to lead the way for Braden River at the plate.

For a complete story on the Lady Pirates first-ever trip to the state semifinals pick up the May 12 issue of the East County Observer.