'Somebody had to lose this game': Fort White softball falls just short of championship

CLERMONT — If not for a pair of errant throws, the Fort White softball team would likely have been named state champions on Wednesday night.

After upsetting top-seeded Dixie County on Tuesday, Fort White returned to Legends Way Ball Fields to take on the Jay Royals in the FHSAA Class 1A softball championship just 24 hours after the conclusion of Tuesday's semifinal.

And after six and a half innings that saw Fort White fight and claw their way out of a five-run hole, the players watched from right field as Jay celebrated its first state title after the Royals topped the Indians 6-5.

Here are takeaways from the game.

Third time a winner: Fort White softball beats Dixie County, advances to state title game

Winning moment: Fort White softball celebrates after upsetting Dixie County in Class 1A state semifinal

Pitchers duel early

Neither team was going to find the scoreboard easy. Fort White and Jay’s defenses made that clear in the opening three innings as both teams traded scoreless innings.

Fort White opened the game with a three-up, three-down inning as Jay’s senior ace, Mattie Cochran, forced Fort White down with a pair of groundouts and a pop out.

Firing right back at the Royals, Fort White freshman Kadence Compton forced a pop out to Jay’s leadoff hitter, followed by a strikeout, walk and strikeout to send the Royals back to the third-base dugout.

Compton, who finished the night having given up seven hits, five earned runs and six strikeouts, had tallied four strikeouts in the first three innings.

"The strike zone got smaller and smaller," Fort White co-head coach Chad Padgett said. "The same pitches I was getting in the first two innings, by the third, they started going away ... frustrated my pitcher."

Royals capitalize on mishaps

When playing in any state championship, the margin for error is slim. And Fort White made a costly error in the bottom of the fourth inning.

After Jay eighth-grader Kaylee Gilbreath led off the inning with a double, junior catcher Bailey Lopez immediately followed with a bunt that managed to stay fair, despite Fort White believing it dribbled foul.

In the following at-bat, Jay sophomore Brett Watson sent a grounder back to the circle, where Compton sent an errant throw to the plate, allowing a pair of runs to come across.

The Royals continued to pass the bat around as Cochran sent a RBI single up the gut, to extend Jay’s lead out to 3-0.

Just as Fort White seemed as though it was finding its bearings again, Jay senior Alayna Lowery smacked a two-out, two-run home run over the left field fence, giving the Royals a five-run advantage.

Comeback bid falls just short

Following Jay's five-run inning, Compton and her teammates were visibly flustered by how quickly things unraveled.

But the last thing Fort White was going to do was roll over.

"They battled to the end right there," Padgett said. "They left it all on the field. That's all you ask of them."

With two outs against her, Fort White sophomore Gracie Clemons issued a base hit, which advanced freshman Hannah LeBleu, who reached via walk, to the doorstep.

Compton followed with a hard-hit grounder and reached on an error, allowing LeBleu and Clemons to come home to give the Indians their first two runs of the evening and cut the Royals' lead to 5-2.

After forcing a three-up, three-down inning, Fort White returned to bat, pouring on three more runs thanks to RBI hits from Clemons, Compton and senior Madalyn Keen.

With the game tied, Fort White would commit a pair of devastating errors in the bottom of the sixth inning, allowing Jay to take a 6-5 lead heading into the final inning of play.

Fort White finished with four errors on the night.

But still, Fort White never gave up — even when the team had just one out to give.

After collecting a pair of leadoff outs, Fort White loaded the bases after hits from senior Kaitlyn Suggs, LeBleu and freshman Morgan Kelly.

And stepping up with the two-out, bases-loaded opportunity was exactly who Fort White wanted to have the bat in her hands: Clemons.

"She's the best in the business," Padgett said of Clemons.

After fouling the first pitch off, Clemons delivered a hit that nine times out of 10 goes for a base hit. Instead, Jay's sophomore shortstop Ella Nelson came away with the game-ending grab, giving Jay softball its first state title.

"Who would've thought the shortstop would be cheating into the middle of the field," Padgett said.

Looking ahead

While the Royals graduate seven seniors this season, Fort White will be in much better shape as they graduate just two.

"I hate losing, but somebody had to lose this game," Padgett said. "The good thing about it: We'll be back next year."

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: High school softball: Jay holds off Fort White to capture Class 1A crown