HOLIDAY — Announcers for Tuesday’s softball/baseball games at Anclote warned fans of stray softballs and baseballs pummeling each other’s stands. The Sharks teams played at about the same time, with two pitchers — Isabella and David Borges — from the same family starting.
The softball team (2-8, 0-5) took on Tarpon Springs and fell in the last inning, 5-2. The baseball team (4-8, 3-5) lost 10-1 to Sunlake.
Isabella stayed in for seven innings, David was taken out in the third when it became apparent Sunlake was using a different strategy than the Sharks had expected.
“I’m absolutely looking forward to comparing to him,” Isabella said with a grin after her game. “I feel like I could’ve done better, but you win some, you lose some.”
Isabella, a sophomore, finished with nine strikeouts, while David, a senior, had two strikeouts, two walks and gave up two earned runs.
“She just pitched a great game,” softball coach Terra Winthrop said. “It just got away from her in the last inning.”
The Sharks took an early lead in the first inning when Jade Hice hit a double, sending Samantha Sutula and Heaven Bataille home. Bataille was Isabella’s runner for the night.
Anclote held onto that lead for five innings as Isabella struck out consecutive batters. It wasn’t until the top of the sixth that Tarpon Springs’ Morgan Mills landed a hit that allowed Emily Merino to run home.
The Sharks kept their lead into the seventh, but the Spongers pulled out their heavy hitters. Andrea Faison batted in a runner, and a homer on the next play sent three runners home.
“We’re still young,” Winthrop said. “I’ve got a lot of freshmen and sophomores. They just need to get used to playing at this level.”
The baseball team’s game started half an hour later, so Isabella was able to duck into the stands in time to see her brother play his last two innings.
Anclote coach Chad Fletcher decided to start David because Sunlake tends to bunt early. The Seahawks changed up their strategy, and Fletcher had to adjust.
“When he left, it was only 3-1,” Fletcher said of David. “He came in, and he did his job.”
Fivay first to beat Royal Knights
River Ridge softball’s unbeaten streak to start the season ends at nine.
Class 5A, District 8 foe Fivay (7-3, 4-3), behind ace Jillion McElderry, topped the Royal Knights 1-0 on Tuesday. McElderry struck out nine, while her River Ridge (9-1, 4-1) counterpart, Makenzie Goluba, tallied 12 strikeouts.
Three teams are atop the standings with one district loss — River Ridge, Gulf and Dunedin.