North headed to first finals
The final game of the season at Bobbie Dewey Field Tuesday night concluded with an appropriate song for the host North Fort Myers Red Knights: Joy to the World.
Soon after, a raucous celebration ensued, which included the team and the overflow crowd that showed up in support.
In what was already an unprecedented season in the program’s history, the Red Knights (27-3) now have a date next Wednesday in the Class 5A FHSAA Finals, after defeating Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer 10-1 in the Region 5A-4 finals Tuesday.
“We’ve put in a lot of hard work to get this far,” said junior Jackie Owen. “We’re not going to stop until we get the state title.”
Owen pitched a complete game on the mound, improving her own record to 23-3, but it was the Red Knights’ offense that put an exclamation point on their run to the state final four.
The game was there for the taking, knotted 1-1 going into the bottom of the sixth, but the Knights took control emphatically with a nine-run outburst.
Senior Mariah Fernandez hit a sharp single to center to start the attack. Owen followed with a grounder back to Dwyer pitcher Logan Wallace, but her throw to first sailed high for an error. The Panthers then became rattled and the floodgates opened.
Allie Kennedy had an RBI single. Micheala Schlotter smacked a two-run single down the third-base line and the Knights took advantage of some wild pitching as Wallace hit three different batters. Owen’s two-run single and Katrissa Rowell’s two-run triple made it 10-1.
Rowell nearly scored an inside-the-park home run to end the game via the 10-run rule, but was tagged out at the plate. She was hit in the mouth and injured briefly due to the collision, but the catcher came back out for the top of the seventh as the Knights closed it out defensively.
“My mouth hurts a little bit,” Rowell, a freshman said, holding an ice pack to her lip, “but we won the game. Our season is not over yet.”
The Knights play Venice Wednesday in a state semifinals game at Plant City Stadium.
Their list of accomplishments continues to grow. They finished 13-0 at home this season and are currently on a nine-game winning streak, which includes LCAC, district and regional titles.
Though Tuesday’s win over Dwyer (20-10) turned into a convincing margin on the scoreboard, it was a close battle for the majority of the game.
Dwyer struck first in the top of the second on an RBI single by Sloan Caruso. They threatened for more, but the Knights escaped a jam. Third baseman Lexi Schlotter picked up a bunt attempt and tagged a runner trying to score and with two outs, shortstop Kayla Ramey scooped up a grounder and fired to first.
The Knights came back in the bottom of the second to tie it 1-1. Kennedy smacked a double to left and Schlotter picked up an RBI single to center.
Both pitchers settled in more and tossed three straight scoreless innings until the pivotal sixth.
“We could’ve caved in, they put a lot of pressure on us,” North coach Jeff Miner said. “Our girls showed their toughness again. (In the sixth) a senior (Fernandez) got it started for us and then it was like an explosion.”
Palm Beach Dwyer 010 000 0 – 1 3 2
North Fort Myers 010 009 x – 10 8 2
W – Jackie Owen (23-3). L – Wallace.
2B – Allie Kennedy (N). 3B – Katrissa Rowell (N)