KISSIMMEE, Florida – Based on rankings and records, it was hard to call it an upset, but 16th-seeded Hagerty’s 6-1 win over top-seeded Newsome highlighted first-round action at the 21st annual Kissimmee Klassic Softball Tournament on Thursday afternoon.

Hagerty was seeded last in the tournament’s top-tier Blue Division despite coming in with a 17-2 record and being ranked No. 8 in Class 8A in the latest Florida High School Athletic Association polls. Newsome was 14-1 and entered the game ranked No. 1 in the FHSAA Class 9A rankings.
 

Internally, we were using our seeding as motivation, but in this tournament there isn’t a lot of difference between the first and last seed.

Hagerty head coach Dave Stone said, “There are so many outstanding teams, you are going to play a really good team every game.” Stone pointed to the combined 180-27 of the 16 teams in the Blue Division and number of ranked teams in the tournament to make his point. 

Hagerty jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, taking advantage of an RBI double by Jordie Miller and Ashley Worell’s run-scoring single. “Scoring twice in the first frame really set the tone for the game,” Stone added. “Runs are always at a premium in a tournament of this nature and getting the early lead is a big advantage.”
 
The Huskies broke the game wide open in the fifth inning, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring four runs. RBI singles by Miller and Miranda Greene highlighted the inning. 
 
Newsome finally broke through in the seventh, scoring its only run on Brooke Leistl’s RBI single. But pitcher Ashley Worrell retired Cassidy Davis on a ground ball back to the box with the bases loaded to end the game.
 
Erin Crawford pitched five innings of two-hit ball to pick up the win. She stuck out two and walked three, but also got 11 fly-ball outs.  “Great game by both Erin and our catcher Alicia Tomberlin also called a great game,” Stone added. “They kept the Newsome hitters off balance all night.”
 
In one of the most highly contested games of the opening day, second-ranked Oakleaf (20-0) overcame a first inning deficit to defeat the Cooper City Cowboys (10-5), 5-3.  
 
The Cowboys roughed up starter Rebecca Koskey with RBI singles by Sommer Grzybek, Leanna Hernandez and Sabrina Hebding to take a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Oakleaf picked up single runs in the first and second inning before Tracey Ferguson gave the Lady Knights the lead for good with a two-run triple in the fourth. 
 
Back-to-back doubles by Rebecca Marks and Destiny Pacetti in the bottom of the fifth added an insurance run. 
 
“No excuses because we were playing a good team, but I thought we came out flat in the early going,” Head Coach Christina Thompson said.  “Putting Kelsey Sweatt on the mound in the second inning really turned the game around for us. She has been our workhorse all season and she dominated the rest of the game.” Sweatt worked five and a third innings, striking out 12 and walking just one in picking up the win.
 
In other Blue Division action, fifth-seeded Lake Region (15-0) opened the tournament with a relatively easy 6-0 win over 12th-seeded St. Cloud. Jordan Barnes went four for four, scored a run and drove in three to lead the Thunder.
 
Junior Mary Haff recorded the shutout, allowing just two hits and striking out 12. She did not allow a hit or a ball out of the infield until Kate McFann’s fourth-inning double. “My rise ball and change-up were working well today,” Haff said after the win. “This tournament features some of the best teams in the state and the nation, so it was important to get off to a great start.”
 
“I wish we would have hit the ball a little better,” Lake Region Head Coach John Bridges said.  “We had to make a lot of adjustments to a slower pitcher and we were off-balance early in the game. Mary pitched a great game and Barnes had a great day at the plate.”
 
Sara Crawford picked up two hits for St. Cloud, which fell to 11-5 on the season.
 

More Blue Division Summaries:

Gainesville 5, Bishop Verot 0

Katie Chronister struck out 10 and allowed just one hit as fourth-seeded Gainesville High School advanced to Friday’s quarterfinal with a 5-0 win over Bishop Verot. Chronister, a University of Florida signee, was in command throughout the game. She walked two hitters and allowed only one second-inning single to Jessy McClean as the Hurricanes went to 15-1 on the season.  Offensively, Chronister had two hits and scored two runs; while right fielder Morgan Bare and second baseman Olivia Hanson each had three hits.  Bishop Verlot fell to 14-5.
 

Pines Charter 9, Marist 3

9th seeded Pembroke Pines Charter jumped on Marist starter Emily Reilly for three runs in the first inning and coasted to a 9-3 win.  Julia Ramos (3 for 3) and Megan Calandra (1 for 4) each picked up a pair of RBIs for Charter, now 13-1.  Marist, the defending Illinois Large School State Champion, fell to 3-1 on the season and was led by a pair of hits by Amanda Mclhany.
 

St. Thomas Aquinas 6, Miami Palmetto 0

Pitcher Brooke Stock scattered four singles and pitched a complete game shutout as 10th seeded St. Thomas Aquinas (14-3) upset seventh-seeded Miami Palmetto (19-2).   The Raiders 13-hit attack was led by Thais Gonzales, who went four for four and scored three runs.  Catcher Lindsay Gehrig had four RBI and shortstop Meagan Patterson had three hits and two RBI for St. Thomas. 
 

Downers Grove South 16, Gulliver Prep 1

Morgan Meyer led a 14-hit Mustangs attack with a four for four performance and two RBI to lead Downers Grove South to a 16-1 win over Gulliver Prep in game shortened to four innings due to the FHSAA mercy rule.   Caroline Hedgcock did not allow an earned run and struck out five in pitching a complete game.
 

Ft. Myers 3, Winter Springs 2 (8 Innings)

MacKenzie Peterson scored on Natwia Ellis’ 8th-inning single to centerfield to give Ft. Myers a 3-2 win over Winter Springs.  Shortstop Jessie Valerius went three for four and scored twice for Ft. Myers, who went to 16-0 on the season. Destiny Colgate had a couple of hits for Winter Springs, who fell to 13-3 on the season.
 

Gold Division Summaries

Baron Collier 3, Columbia 1

Shortstop Megan Scoone went three for three with an RBI and run scored to lead second-seeded Baron Collier to a 3-1 win over Columbia High School.  Tori Sutherland allowed just four hits and struck out five in firing a complete game win for Collier, who went to 14-4 with the win.  Columbia fell to 7-9 with the loss.
 

Orange City University 9, Riverview 2

Madison Roeshink starred with both her bat and on the mound as 10th seeded Orange City University (12-7) upset 7th seeded Riverview (9-6).  Roeshink went two for two with a double and three RBI at the plate and also struck out five and did not allow an earned run in three innings of relief. Marissa Adame allowed a run and five hits in four innings in picking up the win. 
 

Canterbury 17, Florida Christian 1

Each starter collected as least one hit as the Canterbury Crusaders routed Florida Christian, 17-1.  Seeded third in the Gold Division, the Crusaders scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back.  Taylor Bump, Miranda Posey, Trystone Taylor, and Lindsay Graves collected two hits each for the Crusaders, while Posey scattered three hits in picking up the win for Canterbury, 6-8.  Florida Christian 3-7) was led by shortstop Megan Rodriguez, who collected two hits.
 

Osceola 5, Okeechobee 0

Osceola (13-3) opened the tournament with a 5-0 win over Okeechobee (6-10).  The Lady Kowboys broke the game open in the third inning, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring four runs – all after two were out.  Trinity Gibbs and Lauren Edwards picked up RBIs in the inning to back the complete game shutout pitching of Liane Santiago, who struck out four in the game.
 

Clay 4, Eau Gallie 2

Ashley Stokes pitched a complete game, allowing five hits and two runs as the Clay Blue Devils advanced to the quarterfinals of the Gold Division with a 4-2 win over Eau Gallie.  Clay, 13-3, got a pair of hits and an RBI from Charlotte DeNapoli.  First baseman Jada Watkins had a pair of hits and an RBI for Eau Gallie, 11-6.
 

Lake Howell 4, Lake Nona 0

Raechel Cutcher and Giovanna Watts combined on a seven-hit shutout as Lake Howell (11-8) slipped by Lake Nona (12-6).  The Silver Hawks would get the only run they would need in the first inning as Shanika Klett singled, stole second and scored on a throwing error catcher Jordan Ramirez.
 

Bradford 8, Key West 3

Gracie Blankenship collected three hits and Victoria Wilkerson went two for three with a pair of runs batted in as 5th seeded Bradford (8-7) defeated 12th seeded Key West (2-8), 8-3, in a first-round game. Wilkerson was the winning pitcher, working four innings. Shelby Wilkison struck out eight and did not allow a hit in three innings to pick up the save.
 

Columbia 7, Riverview 6 (8 Innings)

Hayes Fulford’s sacrifice fly in the top of the 8th inning gave Columbia a 7-6 upset win over Riverview in extra innings.  Trailing 5-3 in the bottom of the 7th, Riverview opened the inning with back-to-back walks, an RBI double from Dani Brandt and a run-scoring single by Emily Mosco.  But with the scored tied 7-7 and the winning run on third base with no outs, relief pitcher Cris'deona Beasley got Kaia LoPreste pop out to second before striking out Aliyah Carter and Morgan Davis to end the threat. Beasley got the win for Columbia (8-8), Mosco took the loss for Riverview (9-6)
 

Montverde 7, Pace 0

Montverde advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-0 forfeit win over Pace.

Friday’s Semifinals

Blue Division

1:00	Hagerty vs. Pines Charter
3:00	Lake Region vs. Gainsville
5:00	Downers Grove South vs. Ft. Myers
5:00	St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Oakleaf

 
Gold Division

11:00	Canterbury vs. Clay
1:00	Orange City University vs. Baron Collier
1:00	Monteverde vs. Lake Howell

Written By: J. Daniel Pearson