Posted on Tue, May. 06, 2008

Steeped in a rich recent history, American Heritage's softball program reached a crossroads this season.

The Patriots, fresh off a stretch that saw them lose 10 of 15 games against tough competition, bordered on mediocrity.

American Heritage has not lost since.

The win streak reached nine games Monday afternoon when the Patriots routed Jacksonville Bishop Snyder 6-0 at Plant City Stadium in a Class 3A FHSAA semifinal.

''Throughout the season we lost 10, but I do it to my teams every year,'' said Heritage coach Marty Cooper, who guided his team to titles in 2004 and 2005. ``Because we're private, I play all the 5A and 6A schools, state champions from the past year. We lost a lot of one-run ballgames and a lot of extra-innings ballgames. . . . It's OK during the season, because it's only getting you ready for this tournament.''

The Patriots (20-10) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Chelsea Howell reached on a throwing error by pitcher Taylor Wright and scored when Bailey Castro launched a two-run bomb to left-center.

''It was a 3-2 count,'' Bailey said. ``She happened to be over the corner of the plate. . . . I was hoping she would throw it over the plate, and she did.''

The Cardinals (20-11) appeared to tie the score with two out in the bottom of the third, when Lili Guzman lined a would-be single to center. The play could have scored two runs, but the home plate umpire ruled Guzman stepped on home plate while swinging -- an automatic out, which negated the runs.

''I thought we had 2-2,'' Bishop Snyder coach Mike Young said. ``Apparently, we didn't. We stepped out of the box there. It changed a little bit of things. It changed momentum and gave it back to them.''

The home plate umpire called Guzman out immediately, but the large contingent of Cardinals fans clustered behind the plate drowned his voice out. Center fielder Beth Peller threw home, but catcher Sam Soltis already walked away when she heard the call.

''For them it was obviously a big momentum turn, because they thought the ball went to the screen and they got a couple of runs out of it with the kid on third base,'' Cooper said. ``As it played out, it would have been a huge change.''

Heritage added to its lead in the fifth when Brittany Propri had an RBI single and Amanda Lonergan smacked a two-run single to left.

The Patriots loaded the bases to start the seventh on a single by Beth Peller, an error and an intentional walk to Castro.

''I just didn't want the kid to beat us again,'' Young said. ``Somebody said she was the best hitter in Broward County. If she can get extended on something, she has enough power to take it out. To be that young with that kind of talent and that kind power is impressive.''

The Patriots only got one run, however, when Propri hit into a fielder's choice to allow Peller to score.

Aimee Chapdelaine, an eighth-grader who gained experience when Stephanie Brombacher missed most of last season with an injury, struck out four and allowed three hits through six innings to earn the victory.

Rebekah Kiser pitched a flawless seventh.

The Patriots face Lakeland McKeel Academy in Tuesday's final.

AMERICAN HERITAGE 6,

BISHOP SNYDER 0

Am. Heritage 200 030 1 --6 7 0 Bishop Snyder 000 000 0 --0 3 3

WP: Aimee Chapdelaine (13-6). LP: Taylor Wright (20-11). Records: AH 20-10, BS 20-11.

BASKETBALL

Former St. Thomas Aquinas guard Alina Rodriguez has accepted the girls' basketball head coach position at her alma mater. The Raiders hope Rodriguez, who has spent the last three seasons as a Raiders assistant, can turn around the fortunes of a program that has gone through three coaches -- Arthur Lobbe, Bernie Farrell, and most recently Dennis Frisco since 2005, when they last made the state playoffs.

Lobbe stepped down at the end of the 2004-05 season after leading the Raiders to the Class 5A Regional semifinals where they lost 54-51 to Palm Beach Dwyer. That ended five consecutive state playoff appearance for the Raiders under Lobbe.

''I've come full circle, having graduated from here and now coaching here,'' said Rodriguez, a 1993 Aquinas grad who went on to become a four-year starter for Barry University. "This is giving me an opportunity to give back. It is about continuity. The longer you have someone set in place, the better the place is going to be.''

Rodriguez, who teaches Spanish at the school, inherits a team that slipped to 11-11 this past season after posting a 15-7 record in 2006. To inject some excitement, Rodriguez said she will have the Raiders pushing the ball more than in the past.

''We are going to be a running team,'' Rodriguez said. ``Defensively and offensively we are going to surprise our opponents. This team was more of a set and laid back offense last season.''

-- FABIAN LYON

TUESDAY'S SCHEDULE

Archbishop McCarthy at Cardinal Gibbons, 6 p.m.

Hialeah Miami Lakes at Cooper City, 7 p.m.

Douglas at Boca Raton Spanish River, 7 p.m.