Doral Academy softball’s title hopes stymied again by Bartow in battle of national powers
Doral Academy has established itself as one of the country’s best softball programs over the past five seasons.
But Bartow, one of the all-time great programs in Florida history, continues to be a major roadblock for the Firebirds.
Doral appeared ready to clear that hurdle on Thursday afternoon when it rallied twice and took a three-run lead into the bottom of the seventh inning of its Class 6A state semifinal clash with the Yellow Jackets at Legends Way Ball Fields in Clermont, Fla.
Instead, things unraveled quickly in the bottom of the inning as Bartow matched the Firebirds’ comeback and dealt them a painful, 7-6 walk-off defeat.
It was the third consecutive time Bartow beat Doral with all three losses by one run.
The Yellow Jackets (30-1) handed the Firebirds (26-2) their only other defeat this season 1-0 in extra innings on April 5. Bartow also beat Doral 3-2 in last year’s state semifinals.
Doral Academy, which was making its fifth consecutive appearance at the state final four and chasing its first state championship since 2021 and second overall, dominated the competition this season, outscoring its opponents 239-22.
The Firebirds entered Thursday’s game ranked No. 10 nationally by MaxPreps, but played in by far the toughest bracket in the state.
Doral was the No. 4 seed in the Class 6A final four since the other three teams in the bracket - Bartow, Santa Rosa Beach Pace and Valrico Bloomingdale - were all ranked in the top 3 overall in the state. Bartow is ranked No. 8 nationally by MaxPreps, Pace is No. 6 and Bloomingdale is No. 12.
The game between two national powers lived up to the hype.
Doral mounted a furious comeback in the top of the seventh and appeared ready to end a three-year state title drought.
But Doral ace Yessenia Lopez walked Mia Gomez to lead off the inning and gave up an infield single to Destiney Driskell. Two batters later with one out, Lopez hit Katelynn Oxley with a pitch to load the bases. Julia Heter followed with an RBI single and a wild pitch on the ensuing at-bat allowed Bartow to cut the deficit to 6-5.
On its next at-bat with runners on second and third, Lopez induced a bouncing ball back near the pitching circle. She fielded and threw home to Doral catcher Lauren Ali, who stepped on home plate just before courtesy runner Alyssa Hillman crossed the plate. But Hillman was safe since the Firebirds could not get a force out on the play and the score was tied at 6. Shay Parker would then ground out to Doral shortstop Anabela Abdullah and Heter took off for home on the throw to first and beat the throw back to the plate to score the winning run.
With Bartow leading 3-2 entering the seventh, the Firebirds struck quickly when Leyani Viruet led off the frame with a double off the left center field fence. After starting pitcher Yessenia Lopez bunted pinch runner Isabella Pavlou to third, Pavlou scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 3.
Zoey Abdullah drew a walk two batters later and two batters after that, Meagan Villazon delivered another huge hit with a two-run double to center that scored Lopez and Abdullah to put Doral ahead 5-3. The Firebirds added another run on Sarah Breaux’s RBI single.
Breaux also hit her Miami-Dade County-leading 15th home run of the season in the fourth inning to tie the game at 2 after Bartow’s Kyndal Cornelius hit a two-run home run in the first inning.
The Yellow Jackets took a 3-2 lead in the fifth by taking advantage of a Doral error.
This story was originally published May 23, 2024 at 5:42 PM.
