By Lee Trawick Riverbend News
The FHSAA Class 1A 2021 softball season began with 43 teams eyeing a trip to Clermont, Fla., for a shot at the state championship. On Tuesday, May 18, the Branford Lady Buccaneers found themselves in Clermont, Fla., vying for the state championship as one of only four teams left in the tournament. The Branford Lady Buccaneers faced-off against the defending Class 1A State Champions the Trenton Tigers.
The Lady Buccaneers would strike first in the fourth inning, when Cera McElreath led the inning off with a single. Joslyn Barrs followed with a single to right field. McElreath read the ball off of Barrs’ bat and saw it was going to fall as she rounded second base. Lady Buccaneers head coach Oscar Saavedra did not hesitate to call McElreath to third base, then sent her home for the Lady Buccaneers first run of the game. As the ball was mis-played by the Tigers, Barrs took advantage and advanced all the way to third base. Evie Pitts continued the scoring for the Lady Buccaneers with an infield base hit, scoring Barrs.
Laila Arnold battled the high powered bats of the Tigers all afternoon. After keeping the Tigers scoreless through four innings, the Tigers would finally bust through in the fifth inning, scoring three runs on two hits and one walk and one error.
Arnold would stay in the fight and hold the Tigers to only the three runs with hopes her Lady Buccaneers would find a way to tie the score and eventually reclaim the lead.
Unfortunately, the Lady Buccaneers were unable to put anything together to mount a comeback, ending the Lady Buccaneers' run in the final four of the state championship tournament with a loss to the Tigers, 3-2.
Be sure to pick up the Wednesday, May 26, edition of the Riverbend News for two full pages of game coverage.