American Senior High’s softball team competed during the weekend of March 16 at the high school sanctioned Silver Lakes Speed Ball Tournament.
The tournament has been going on for more than 13 years with only the top high schools from Miami-Dade and Broward counties competing.
The Patriot girls went 1-1 on Thursday afternoon after winning their first game that put them into the championship game with powerhouse Pines Charter, which is rated No. 4 in Broward.
It was a close game with each team battling for every hit and run they could get, but the Patriots came out victorious with a 3-1 victory, bringing home their first Speed Ball Championship in school history.
American, which beat then-No.1 Palmetto in their season opener, and beat top ranked Pines Charter, is proving to be a force to be reckoned with and also proving their critics wrong in where they stand in the rankings in Miami-Dade.
The girls have worked hard all season long, said Alex Castroman, whose daughter, Erika, plays on the team. He said the coaches have done a great job getting them prepared to play every game on a high level.
The Patriots coaching staff has roots from the Miami Lakes Optimist Club as well as some of the players. They include coach David Fernandez, assistant coaches Jhones and Tommy Borrego, allwho played ball at the Optimist Club.
Pitcher Ashley Alfonso continued her superb performance by going 23 innings, recording 12 strikeouts.
Alexis Guzman went 7-12, with 6 RBI, two runs and one stolen base. Tyenna Colon went 6-12, 9 runs and one stolen base. Yanelys Fernandez went 6-12, with 4 RBI and three runs, and Castroman went 4-9, with three RBI and two runs.