A round-up of local high school sports news:
Star pitcher Alexis Castroman and her American softball team were up against the best in the Region 4-7A semifinal – two-time defending Class 7A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas.
And the Raiders turned back the Patriots’ challenge in a big way, a 16-0 blowout win in a game that was called in the fourth inning due to the mercy rule.
American became the fifth team St. Thomas Aquinas destroyed in the postseason, which outscored their opponents 62-0, and all of the games ended early to prevent the Raiders from running up the score.
The game started 30 minutes earlier than the original schedule because meteorologists predicted rain and a storm for the afternoon.
Castroman, who recently committed to St. Thomas University, started the game and was pulled after the Raiders scored their first two runs.
She returned in the third inning but American couldn’t stop the Raiders’ onslaught.
In other softball news, Barbara Goleman senior Jessica Costero, who hit .518 with four home runs, 27 RBI’s and 37 stolen bases this past season, signed with Agnes Scott College.
In baseball news, Nova upset defending state champion American with a 6-3 victory in the 4-7A Region semifinals.
Nova’s Jose Oliva hit an RBI double to tie the game and Nova went on to pull off the offset.
Gulliver Prep defeated Mater Lakes Academy, 3-1, in their 4-4A Region match up. Gulliver broke a 1-1 knot in the sixth inning and scored the winning run in the seventh inning.
Mater Academy defeated Barbara Goleman, 5-2, in the Region 4-6A quarterfinal. Mater defeated Jensen Beach, 10-3, in the Region 4-6A final to propel the Lions to the state championship in Fort Myers.