Rick Patrick: Greene Publishing, Inc.
The first two rounds of the state softball tournament proved to be of little difficulty for the Aucilla Christian Academy (ACA) Lady Warriors as they cruised to a trip to Vero Beach for the state finals. In the first round on Thursday, May 3, ACA hosted the Lady Warriors of Peniel Baptist Academy. ACA went ahead, scoring one run in the second inning, then opened the floodgates with a six-run fifth inning. After scoring two more runs in the sixth inning, the home team sealed the 9-0 victory.
Abigail Morgan went one-for-three at the plate, with two RBIs. Ali Townsend had a great evening of hitting, with two hits in her two trips to the plate, and one RBI. Anna Trest went one-for-three with one RBI. Ashlyn Rogers had two hits in her three trips to the plate with one RBI. Elizabeth Hightower went one-for-four, with one RBI. Carly Joiner went two-for-four, with two RBIs.
Abigail Morgan and Elizabeth Hightower combined for a nearly flawless job on the mound, giving up no hits, no earned runs, only three walks and 17 strike-outs.
On Tuesday, May 8, the Lady Warriors hosted another team of Warriors. This time it was the Warriors from Eagle's View School. ACA made short work of the visiting Warriors, taking only three innings to mount a 15-0 rout of the Eagle's View team. The scoring storm began with a trickle with two runs in the first inning. Then the scoring deluge began with eight runs in the second. When ACA scored another five runs in the third inning, it was time to call it an evening.
Morgan had two hits, including a home run, in her two at-bats, with two RBIs. Trest had one hit, a three-run homer, in her two at-bats. Rogers went one-for-three, with one RBI. Kasey Chumura went one-for-one, with one RBI. Joiner went two-for-three, with one RBI.
The pitching duo of Morgan and Hightower pitched another great game, giving up just one hit, no earned runs, no walks and five strike-outs.
For the fifth year in a row, the Aucilla Christian Academy Lady Warriors softball team is heading to the Final Four. They will play in the Class 2A State Semi-final game against Master’s Academy, on Monday, May 21. Pictured on the back row, from left to right, are: Lena Kimmell, Albree Shiver, Marilee Heaps, Elizabeth Hightower, Asyria Shuler, Carly Joiner, and Kasey Chumura. Pictured on the front row from, left to right, are: Ali Townsend, Anna Lee Trest, Lindsey Davis (on the ground), Isabella Gray, Kaylie Rogers, Abigail Morgan, and Ashlyn Rogers.
The ACA Lady Warriors will now make the familiar trip to Vero Beach for the state finals. They will face the Lady Patriots of Master's Academy from Vero Beach in the state semi-final game. The game is set to take place on Monday, May 21, at 10:35 a.m. Information on the web-cast of the game can be found at www.fhsaa.org.