Western softball team optimistic about future following state semifinal loss

Not many expected Davie Western to put up much of a challenge against the state’s top ranked team overall, Bradenton Lakewood Ranch, in Friday’s Class 7A state semifinal.

For much of the first few innings, the Wildcats looked the part.

Things changed in top of the fourth when Western plated three runs to cut the deficit to two. But the Mustangs proved to be too much with a pair of home runs – including a grand slam by Ella Coiner – to key a five-run fourth en route to an 11-3 victory at Legends Way Ballfields.

“The game has a funny way,” Western senior third baseman Avery Olsen said. “It gives and it takes. Today it just wasn’t our day. They’re very well coached and an overall super talented team. That’s just what they do. Today, they had a good day and we didn’t.”

Lakewood Ranch (29-2-1) got an RBI single from Kelsey Vogel in the first to open the scoring. The Mustangs added to the lead in the second on a sacrifice fly RBI by Vogel and a two-run triple by Grace Hogie

Western (16-9-1) got on the board in the top of the fourth. Sarah Rosenthal and Emma Mosher had back-to-back singles, and Alexis Ventura reached on a walk. After a run scored on a fielding error, Olsen and Melanie Carr followed with RBI singles.

The Mustangs immediately halted Western’s momentum. Addyson Bruneman homered to lead off the bottom half of the inning. Coiner delivered the knockout blow with a two-out grand slam six batters later. After a near two-and-a-half hour rain delay, the Mustangs added a run in the bottom of the sixth for the final margin.

“If you told us this is where we would have ended our season, I probably wouldn’t have believed you,” Olsen said. “I’m just super proud of my team, making it here. . . . For our team to come out here and put up three runs against a really good pitcher, I’m just proud overall of these girls and the fight they put up to get here.”

Western, the 2018 Class 9A champion, made its third-final four since 2016 and should be primed for future success. The Wildcats return graduate three and return seven starters, including freshman pitcher Ali Solo, next year.

“A lot of people don’t realize that our starting pitcher and our starting catcher [Kennedy Butter] are both freshmen,” Western coach Johnny Bradshaw said. “We’re a young team. The majority of the other girls are sophomores so we’re going to be young for a while.”

Bradshaw, who also coaches travel ball, knows the Wildcats roster will be buoyed with some additions next year.

“I think with a lot of hard work we definitely can make it back,” he said. “That’s going to be our goal. The seniors, it’s going to be tough to replace them because all three are going on to play college ball. At the end of the day, it’s a revolving door. When you’ve done this a while, you lose seniors and they move on and new girls come in. You continue to build and get better every year.”