East Ridge bats stay hot with 9-0 rout of West Orange to open region softball
CLERMONT - You know things are going good when you can laugh about a bunt double in the dugout.
The East Ridge girls softball team had that scenario in third inning of the Knights’ Class 7A Region 3 quarterfinal 9-0 rout of West Orange on Thursday night. East Ridge likes to pound the ball, and the Knights average 11 runs per game. But it was a dribbler that was the big blow for East Ridge on this night.
Senior second baseman Veronica Peterson and senior catcher Leila Bolden led off the third inning with a pair of singles, then senior pitcher Simmone Hymiller offered up the mighty blast. It was a bunt that caught the West Orange infield sneaking in and the ball made its way to the outfield grass while Peterson and Bolden rounded the bases and Hymiller rolled into second with a double.
CrossFit star Molly O’Hara of East Ridge is Girls Weightlifter of the Year
Sophomore shortstop Molly O’Hara, the granddaughter of legendary Knights football coach Bud O’Hara, then stepped to the plate and ripped an RBI double. She scored on a sacrifice ground out by Kaitlyn Halley to give East Ridge to a 3-0 lead. That was all the Knights needed.
In the East Ridge lineup, everybody hits, from the top of the order to the bottom. Things were no different Thursday. The Knights pounded out 10 hits in support Hymiller, who shut out West Orange for the second time in a week. East Ridge (25-2) also blanked the Warriors in a district final 12-0.
Hymiller scattered three West Orange hits and showed great command of pitches in working through her arsenal of spinners and fastballs. She struck out three of four hitters in the second inning, settling into her groove. She had three strikeouts for the game.
“Believe it or not, she didn’t really have her best stuff,” East Ridge coach Al Peterson said of Hymiller, who is now 16-2. “She relied more on spin than velo today, which is why we were manipulating the bat and getting the outs that we were getting, which is OK.
“The good thing about her is that she can go to that game. She can rely on spin and she did have some strikeouts tonight because she was locating pitches.”
East Ridge followed up the three-run third with a huge sixth inning that was more like the Knights’ style. Senior center fielder Bailey Page, Peterson and Bolden had three consecutive singles, and sophomore designated hitter Nadya Zerfas crushed a three-run triple as East Ridge added to the margin with a five-run inning that closed the door.
“Things are going good, We are a team that hits the ball really well and that’s not taking anything for granted,” coach Peterson said.
Bolden had three hits, and Peterson and O’Hara each had two. O’Hara, the Class 3A state weightlifting champion at 129 pounds last month, was fresh off accepting the East Ridge Athlete of the Year award, given Wednesday night.
“I just try to put my team first,” O’Hara said. “We call it a band of sisters because we’re just one big family at the end of the day. We just love playing the game. We all come together, try our best and just have fun.”
Peterson loves the camaraderie.
“They love playing with each other. They’re just asking for one more opportunity,” Peterson said. “They are a connected team, led by our seniors, and they just enjoy being out here having fun.”
East Ridge finds itself at the same stage where last season ended. The Knights host Venice (20-6) in a region semifinal on Tuesday. Peterson is hoping his girls move a step further this year and prove their glossy record is no fluke.
“I like where we’re at. I like the mentality of my girls,” Peterson said. “A lot of times you get girls his time of year who are checked out, thinking about travel ball and all that stuff. These kids haven’t mentioned it, not one time.
“They’re just thinking about the next opportunity to come out here and play. As long as we do that, who knows how far we can go.”
Here are regional results and pairings:
7A REGION 1
Quarterfinals
Lake Brantley 12, Sandalwood 0
Atlantic Coast 4, Creekside 3
Hagerty 1, University-Orange City 0
Spruce Creek 2, Apopka 0
Semifinals, Tuesday
No. 4 Atlantic Coast (19-7) at No. 1 Lake Brantley (23-3)
No. 6 Spruce Creek (19-7) at No. 2 Hagerty (23-4)
7A REGION 2
Quarterfinals
Jupiter 16, Vero Beach 1
Boone 6, Harmony 2
Centennial 5, Wellington 3
St. Cloud 8, Tohopekaliga 3
Semifinals, Tuesday
No. 4 Boone (18-8) at No. 1 Jupiter (20-3)
No. 7 Centennial (9-13) at No. 3 St. Cloud (18-10)
7A REGION 3
Quarterfinals
East Ridge 9, West Orange 0
Venice 10, Plant City 9
Sarasota 1, Sumner 0
Newsome 7, George Jenkins 1
Semifinals, Tuesday
No. 4 Venice (20-6) at No. 1 East Ridge (25-2)
No. 3 Newsome (20-8) at No. 2 Sarasota (21-5)
6A REGION 2
Quarterfinals
Bartow 13, Lake Howell 4
Durant 13, Dwyer 1
Melbourne 2, Oviedo 0
Bloomingdale 9, Viera 0
Semifinals, Tuesday
No. 4 Durant (16-8) at No. 1 Bartow (25-3)
No. 3 Bloomingdale (19-8) at No. 2 Melbourne (26-1)
5A REGION 2
Quarterfinals
Winter Springs 13, River Ridge 0
Sebring 5, Belleview 0
Gainesville 6, Deltona 0
Wesley Chapel 5, Springstead 3
Semifinals, Tuesday
No. 5 Sebring (22-5) at No. 1 Winter Springs (20-6)
No. 6 Wesley Chapel (20-8) at No. 2 Gainesville (15-6)
3A REGION 2
Quarterfinals
Santa Fe 10, Mount Dora 0
Nature Coast Tech 4, The Villages Charter 2
Eustis 14, Palatka 0
Crystal River 1, Astronaut 0
Semifinals, Tuesday
No. 4 Nature Coast Tech (21-5) at No. 1 Santa Fe (23-3)
No. 3 Crystal River (19-8) at No. 2 Eustis (19-6)
2A REGION 2
quarterfinals
The First Academy (Orlando) 15, Space Coast 6
Ocala Trinity 8, Melbourne Central Catholic 3
Montverde Academy 7, Keystone Heights 0
Cornerstone Charter 7, Newberry 0
Semifinals, Tuesday
No. 4 Trinity (15-11) at No. 1 TFA (21-3)
No. 3 Cornerstone (20-5) at No. 2 Montverde (19-5)
1A REGION 2
Quarterfinals
Geneva School 11, Orangewood 0
Foundation Academy 14, Master's Academy 1
Lakeland Christian 15, Cambridge 0
Mount Dora Christian 8, Seffner Christian 4
Semifinals, Tuesday
No. 6 Mount Dora Christian (18-10) at No. 2 Lakeland Christian (19-8)
No. 4 Foundation (12-10) at No. 1 Geneva (13-4)
Chris Hays can be found on X.com@OS_ChrisHays.
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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 12:43 AM.