Western rallies twice, secures walk-off win to advance to state softball finals
Western outfielder Alana Cypress was visibly frustrated when it happened.
Trying to make a play for her team, which had yet to score to that point, Cypress tried to get an extra base running from first to third after a hit by teammate Brooke Bacaris.
But Cypress was called out.
She knew she’d get another chance though.
Fast forward to the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs, the tying run at third and the winning run at second, and this time Cypress would come through for the Wildcats.
Cypress lined a ball into left center field, which landed inches away from the outstretched glove of Jupiter’s center fielder and allowed Madison Mejia and Ali Solo to score and propel Western to a dramatic, 4-3 walk-off win over the Warriors in a Class 7A state semifinal at Legends Way Ball Fields in Clermont, Fla.
“After the incident at third I just knew I had to put my team on my back and calm down and not let that affect me,” Cypress said. “I needed to do the talking with my bat. I knew I was going to hit it and score a run. I just didn’t know if both would score. I knew where I hit it, we were good.”
Western (26-4-1) advanced to the 7A final and will play Sanford Seminole, which blanked Windermere 4-0 in the other semifinal, on Saturday at 11 a.m. as it tries to win its first state championship since 2018 and second overall.
Cypress, one of four starters who were starting on the Wildcats’ last team that advanced to the state final four in 2022 and lost 11-3 to Lakewood Ranch in the semifinals, went 3 for 5 with two RBI.
Solo, who went 1 for 3 at the plate while pitching all eight innings, allowing two earned runs, on seven hits and four walks while striking out 10, was one of the others, along with senior Emma Mosher (one RBI) and junior Kennedy Butter.
“I was on second base (when Cypress got her hit) so I didn’t even look, I just ran all the way home,” Solo said. “We all click when we’re on the field. Everyone comes together to do what they have to do and we love a good battle. I was pretty confident in my team and we all believe in each other. We just have to keep playing like we’ve been playing and get the job done.”
Trailing 2-0, Cypress led off the fifth with a single before she was thrown out at third. Bacaris appeared to have also lost on a baserunning gamble when, after advancing to second, she took off to third when the ball got away from a Jupiter infielder on the throw back in from the infield. But the umpires ruled the play was already dead and Bacaris returned to second base.
Senior Arlette Caravaca put Western on the board with an RBI single on the next at-bat. After a pair of intentional walks to Danae Falquez and Jade Castillo, Mosher laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt that allowed Caravaca to score and tie the game.
“There’s no quit in them,” Western coach Johnny Bradshaw said. “I knew they’d battle to the last out like we’ve done the whole season. This is a really special group for me. My daughter was on the 2016 and 2018 team. We were here in 2022 and it didn’t go our way. We have the same mindset and that’s to just do their job and everything would take care of itself.”
Jupiter starter Sasha Seidel, who struck out seven, induced an inning-ending groundout by Butter, which was executed after a great stop at second by infielder London Gomes.
This might have left Western lamenting that potential run if Cypress had not been thrown out at third.
But Solo kept the game even until the eighth when Jupiter took the lead after Emma Lucchesi singled to drive in Rylee Lewis - the automatic runner at second to start the inning.
Sophomore Gia Solano started the bottom of the inning as Western’s automatic runner at second and advanced to third on a sac bunt by Butter. But after Mejia was walked, Solano was caught in a rundown after a bunt by Solo and tagged for the second out. Solano, however, bought time between the bases for Mejia to reach third and Solo to reach second, setting up Cypress’ heroics.
“Alana’s a senior and she’s been there before and knows how to respond to adversity,” Bradshaw said. “I knew if she got a second chance, she’d come through for her team and she did.”
