Dist. 5A-15 softball
The lack of scoring in the two regular-season meetings between the North Fort Myers Red Knights and Fort Myers Green Wave took nothing away from the quality of softball.
Instead, it was the outstanding pitching, defense and attention to detail displayed by both teams that made the matchups all the more intriguing.
Behind the stellar pitching and timely hits from junior Jackie Owen, the Red Knights prevailed over the Wave 1-0 and 2-1.
The Knights’ well-rounded play throughout the season allowed them to secure the No. 1 seed in the District 5A-15 softball tournament, which begins Monday.
If the top two seeds advance to Friday’s championship game, it would mean a third meeting between the arch-rivals.
That’s hardly a certainty, though, given the host of contenders throughout the bracket.
No. 3 Mariner, No. 4 Barron Collier, No. 5 Gulf Coast and No. 6 Ida Baker seem to have enough to stun one of the favorites. No team has made bigger strides this season than No. 7 Cape Coral, led by first-year coach Amy Petruska.
Tuesday, the higher seeded team hosts a district quarterfinals game. North hosts the Lehigh-East Lee County winner, Fort Myers hosts Cape Coral, Mariner hosts Ida Baker and Barron Collier hosts Gulf Coast.
The semifinals and finals are Wednesday and Friday, respectively, at Fort Myers High.
No. 1 North Fort Myers vs. TBD: The Red Knights (21-3) are led on the mound by Owen. After two strong seasons, the pitcher has raised her performance to another level as a junior. She has delivered in several big games this season, including throwing a perfect game in Thursday’s LCAC Championship. Owen brings a 17-3 record into district play.
The Red Knights, though, have enjoyed one of their most successful seasons because of the all-around group.
Senior shortstop Kayla Ramey and freshman catcher Katrissa Rowell are among the defensive leaders, while senior first baseman Mariah Fernandez is a power threat.
The Knights should be able to handle their quarterfinals opponent whether it’s East Lee County or Lehigh, but then the path gets difficult in the semifinals against either Barron Collier or Gulf Coast.
No. 3 Mariner vs. No. 6 Ida Baker: Baker routed Mariner 24-5 in a season-opening win, but the Tritons avenged the beating with a come-from-behind 8-5 victory near the end of the regular season. It gives the Tritons the No. 3 seed, but ultimately pits the two city rivals against each other.
For the Tritons (12-7), sophomore Carrie Grigiski has become stronger on the mound with each start. They feature a strong lineup that includes junior Nikki Roderiques and sophomores Samantha Greenwell, Samantha Rapp, Abby Willis and MacKenzie Hunt. Senior Brooke Albert is one of the Tritons’ best defensive players in centerfield.
The Bulldogs (12-10) also have several proven hitters, including senior Caitlin Holloway, junior Allie Hare and freshman Alexis “Louie” Ross. Senior Kayla Vetter leads the way on the mound.
Fielding is the Bulldogs’ biggest area of concern. They made seven errors in a recent loss to Mariner and have had some other costly miscues in big games.
No. 2 Fort Myers vs. No. 7 Cape Coral: The Seahawks (7-11) played the Wave tough in both regular-season meetings, losing 5-3 and 7-3.
Junior Tara Higgins is Cape’s top player, both offensively and at third base. Sophomore Brenna Harkins has provided stability on the mound, and they’ve been sparked by several underclassmen, including freshmen Amanda Kopale, Amanda Hurley and Payton DiLallo.
The Wave (14-8) are led by senior ace Lindsey Richardson. Senior Lindsey Caserio, junior Sydney Sheehan and freshman Theresa Samstag are key supporting players.
District 3A-12: The Bishop Verot Vikings (15-6) won all four of their district games during the regular season. They defeated Dunbar by 14-0 and 16-0 margins, and Sarasota Cardinal Mooney 12-2 and 5-4. Mooney figures to be the Vikings’ title game opponent.
Senior Hailey Baracco and sophomore Talia Baracco have been valuable additions to the Vikings, adding to an already talented nucleus.