Trinity Catholic softball scores major upset to advance in FHSAA playoffs
· Yahoo Sports
There's a saying in sports that it's hard to beat a team three times in the same season.
And that adage proved true on Wednesday, May 13, as Trinity Catholic softball (16-11) hit the road to take on The First Academy in the Region 2-2A region semifinals in the FHSAA state tournament.
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The visiting Celtics had faced the hosting Royals twice in the regular season, losing both games by a combined score of 14-3.
Trinity Catholic, however, flipped history on its axis and beat The First Academy when it mattered most, ending the Royals' season with a 6-3 win to send the Celtics to the region championship game.
Getting the start in the circle for the Celtics was, unsurprisingly, Trinity Catholic's junior ace Caylee Barbe. Barbe, a Syracuse softball commit, went the distance, pitching all seven innings, allowing five hits, three runs (all unearned) and striking out 12.
From the plate, where Barbe has amassed a .429 average with eight home runs, the Royals were careful not to let the Celtics' two-way star hurt them too much as Barbe drew four walks in the game.
Fortunately for Trinity Catholic, the Celtics were able to lean on a team effort on offense as five batters recorded hits with senior Rebecca LeFils being the only multi-hit batter with two hits. Meanwhile, junior Hailey Wilson is credited with three RBIs, courtesy of her third home run of the season, while fellow junior Jordan Koehn finished with a pair of RBIs on one hit.
Following the win, Trinity Catholic now advances to the region championship game, where it will see No. 3 seed Cornerstone Charter Academy (21-5) with a trip to the Final Four on a line. Cornerstone Charter Academy reaches the region final after topping No. 2-seeded Montverde, which Trinity Catholic beat 4-1 on April 30.
Trinity Catholic and Cornerstone Charter Academy are set to meet on Thursday, May 14, at 7 p.m. in Belle Isle.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Trinity Catholic softball beats The First Academy moves on in FHSAA playoffs