Scary lineup, new ace and more: 5 things to know as Deltona makes 1st trip to softball Final Four

Lindsay Ingram has waited nearly two decades for a run like this.

Deltona's softball team could never quite clear the second hurdle — 23 attempts, 23 failures. Ingram, in her 18th year as head coach, believed from the get-go that this group could break the curse.

She was proven right Monday as the Wolves stunned top-seeded, defending state champion Eustis 4-3 and captured its first regional title in school history.

The wait for a trip to the Final Four will be much shorter; the Wolves (18-3) face Clay at 10 a.m. Thursday at Legends Way Ball Field in Clermont.

"Even (Monday's) game, being down 3-1, I knew we could come back. I had no doubt in my mind," Ingram said. "It's been something I have been wanting. It was a great feeling to get past that little Sweet 16 hump. It was great to see my team celebrate and for all the girls' parents celebrate."

But the feeling of satisfaction is gone, as of about 4 p.m. Tuesday when the Wolves returned to the diamond for practice. The group remains determined to get those last two wins and bring home the trophy.

Here are five things to know about the road Deltona has taken.

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Dangerous lineup, from top to bottom

The primary difference, Ingram says, in this group of Wolves is its formidable batting order.

"One through nine, we can hit the ball," Ingram said. "They believe in each other. Any given time, if one girl's not hitting in an at-bat, the next one will."

As a team, Deltona sports a .381 batting average with a .430 on-base percentage and a .581 slugging percentage. This is not a team that simply slaps and bunts its way aboard; Deltona has more than 90 extra-base hits, including Morgan Davis' clutch game-tying home run Monday.

Three players — Sophie Strempel, Davis and Payton Woerner — have surpassed 20 RBIs. Veronica Puckett has scored 31 runs from just 74 plate appearances.

Puckett sets the table

Speaking of Puckett, she supercharges this Deltona offense in the leadoff spot.

The left-handed swinging junior piled up 36 hits, nine of which went for extra bases. She's also tormented teams once reaching base, stealing 22 bags — with six in playoff romps past Mainland and Rockledge.

Base-running is Puckett's passion, she says.

"It gives me a sense of confidence and dominance," Puckett said. "Knowing that nobody's faster than me and that I'm going all the way around the bases and scoring drives me the most."

And her wheels have largely dictated whether or not Deltona wins this spring. In the Wolves' three defeats to date, Puckett did not record a stolen base.

New ace in town

In 2021, Strempel pitched 99 of the team's 124 innings, posting an 8-10 record with a 4.38 ERA. This year, the sophomore has been inside the circle for a grand total of five innings, happily ceding the spot to a newcomer from California.

Left-hander Katie McCaw has turned in an stellar junior season, winning 17 games with a 1.13 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 111⅓ innings. She fanned 11 and allowed just four hits against a potent Eustis team.

"We had no reason to stay back in California, so we wanted a new start," McCaw said after the Wolves' opening-round win over Mainland. "Most of my mom's family lives here.

McCaw quickly adapted to her new surroundings, as did a few others who transferred to Deltona from neighboring schools — such as Puckett (Trinity Christian) and Davis (Pine Ridge). McCaw and her battery partner Davis are virtually inseparable during the school day; they take six classes together, with English standing as the lone exception.

"This far into the season …we just look at each other, and I know what she wants to throw," Davis said. "That's my pitcher."

Strempel, meanwhile, has found a home at shortstop. Boasting a .536 average with 11 doubles, six triples and one homer, she drove in the winning run against Eustis and assisted the final out.

"I'm a great pitcher and all, but now we have another great player on the field," Strempel said. "It takes the burden and helps me keep my bat in check."

Strengthened schedule

More so than ever, Deltona was hardened and prepared for the postseason grind.

According to MaxPreps, the Wolves' strength of schedule rating (10.3) in 2022 comfortably exceeds any of their previous five trips to the playoffs. It nearly doubles their SOS from both 2016 (5.3) and 2018 (5.6), two seasons in which Deltona posted a combined record of 47-7.

It's not purely a matter of facing tougher teams, but also picking up some wins along the way. Deltona defeated both Robinson and Matanzas at the Kissimmee Klassic and edged Taylor and University, finalists in their respective regions, in the Five Star Conference tournament in early April.

The Wolves also pushed Hagerty to extra innings, and lost close contests to Bishop Moore and Spruce Creek.

Beware the Blue Devils

Deltona is the top-ranked team left standing in Class 4A, perhaps making it the odds-on favorite to come out of Clermont as champions. However, it would be wise not to overlook Clay, which made an extraordinary run as the 8-seed in Region 1.

Clay snatched the final wild record with a 14-11 record in the regular season, but that mark does not paint the full picture. Junior pitcher Gabby Ellis missed nine games, and her presence was most certainly missed.

Ellis (8-5, 1.07 ERA) has allowed two runs across 24 innings this postseason, including a magnificent 10-inning, 11-strikeout performance Friday at West Florida. Sydney Davis is the Blue Devils' top hitter with a .448 average, three home runs, nine doubles and 29 RBIs.

Ingram is impressed with Clay's resolve and sudden surge, admitting the seeding will not intimidate the Blue Devils one bit. Strempel contends that the Wolves will be ready for any challenge ahead.

"I honestly feel so hyped, more pumped up than ever," Strempel said. "I have no fear in my mind that we can't win it all. We're coming for heads, and we're not done. We are ready to win.

"To win the game, it's more than just making the plays and hitting the ball. It comes down to who has the fight. We want it so bad, and that makes us different than most."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: 5 things to know about Deltona softball's first trip to FHSAA Final Four