Lakewood Ranch's offense got plenty of big hits, including a grand slam from senior Ella Coiner, on its way to an 11-3 win over Western High on Friday.
Traditionally, pitching decides high school softball championship games.
The Lakewood Ranch High softball program has learned this lesson in recent years, getting shut out by Winter Springs High 3-0 in the 2019 state championship game and losing 1-0 to Oakleaf High in the state semifinals. Throughout the 2021 season, Mustangs Coach TJ Goelz has preached to his team that the same fate would not befall it this season, thanks to the hard work the team was putting in each day.
Goelz was right. On Saturday, the Mustangs became an exception to the rule.
Lakewood Ranch (30-2) won the Class 7A state championship at Legends Way Ballfields in Clermont, run-ruling previously undefeated Park Vista High (29-1) in six innings, winning 14-4. Lakewood Ranch entered the game ranked No. 4 nationally by USA Today; Park Vista was No. 5. That didn’t matter to the Mustangs offense, which saw eight of its nine regulars get base hits.
Mustangs thud their way to the regional finals snntv.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from snntv.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.