Mustangs, Pirates fall just short of state softball championship goals

After Plant City crushed Lakewood Ranch’s state championship dreams with a 1-0, 11-inning victory in the Class 8A Region 2 final May 12, Mustangs coach Maggie Sharrer’s message was not one of doom and gloom, even though it would have been easy to go that route.

She emphasized all the Mustangs’ improvement over the past season.

Likewise, Braden River’s softball team experienced disappointment in its Class 7A Regional 3A final with a 3-1 loss to Fort Myers. But the Pirates chose to savor their successes from the rest of the season.

Neither team went home fully satisfied.

The Mustangs finished 27-3 overall, and were consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally by FloSoftball and MaxPreps. It seemed they had the pitching, led by senior Logan Newton, the offense, led by freshman Avery Goelz and the defense, led by senior Kinsey Goelz, to reach the state tournament in Vero Beach.

Instead of putting their disappointment into words, Sharrer focused on the positives, namely the improvement of every player on the roster.

“How do you measure success?” Sharrer said. “Individually, everyone got better, and that’s our job as coaches. We want to see progress, whether it’s mental or physical. I’m proud of this team’s growth on so many levels.”

Newton agreed with her coach.

“We showed so much heart,” Newton said. “What more can you ask for?”

Newton and Kinsey Goelz are two of seven seniors departing Lakewood Ranch, headed to major college programs at James Madison University and Mississippi State University, respectively. Neither they, nor the rest of the class, will be easy to replace, but Sharrer has faith in her underclassmen. Asked which returning players she was excited to watch develop, Sharrer rattled off seven names, though she admitted to cutting herself off, restraining from listing the entire roster.

Juniors Kailey Christian and Madi LoCastro will step into more prominent roles on the mound, and freshman Payton Kinney, who impressed in some big spots this season, will have a chance to contribute there also. Offensively, coaches are hoping Avery Goelz will continue to dominate (.562 average, 10 home runs during the regular season), and junior Morgan Cummins will continue to provide power and leadership behind the plate. Sharrer also is looking for big things from “the twins,” sophomore Maddie Koczersut and freshman Taylor Woodring.

Sharrer thanked the departing seniors for helping to change the culture. They turned practices into competitions. They set goals and referred to them throughout the year.

With that attitude entrenched, Sharrer said the next wave of players know how to be good leaders, and will pass that example on to the following wave.

“This was a great group of girls that looks to get even better,” Sharrer said. “They stayed committed to each other, especially in the postseason, with ‘distractions’ like prom and end-of-the-year activities. That stems from the commitment they made at the beginning of the season. They didn’t take anything for granted. They understood how special it was.”

The Pirates did not attract the same amount of attention as Lakewood Ranch (the Pirates were ranked 163rd nationally by MaxPreps), but they, too, had dreams of a state title.

The Pirates finished 24-6, with three of those losses to Lakewood Ranch. Key seniors Brooke and Casey Farrow, Ali Yawn, Myah Moy and Sarah Crawford, who hit a seventh-inning home run against Fort Myers to break the Green Wave’s shutout, are now gone. Coach Melissa Dowling thanked her group after the game for the “blood, sweat and tears” they put into the program.

“The last thing I told them was that they are leaving the program better than when they came in,” Dowling said. “That’s something to be extremely proud of.”

Dowling said the Pirates will turn to budding stars Emma Anthony and Maddie Lindsley, two of eight freshmen in the program, to carry the team next season.

“There is so much talent at Braden River,” Dowling said. “The future is very bright.”

Dowling said the key for the Pirates next season will be chemistry. The players have the tools, Dowling said. It’s about working hard and staying together as a unit. If they do that, she said, there’s no reason they can’t reach the regional finals again, and this time advance.

Crawford called the season a triumph and said she will never forget participating in the Kissimmee Klassic in April, going against the top teams in the state.

“My team did a really good job adjusting to pitchers and defense,” Crawford said. “We learned a lot (about) our team that weekend.”

For one, they learned they could compete with the upper echelon of Florida high school softball teams. Even though Crawford is leaving, she’s thrilled about the group of young players returning.

“I’m excited to see how they continue to grow,” Crawford said of the underclassmen. “Like my class did.”