Time flies when one’s having fun, so several area baseball and softball teams may find it hard to believe it’s already about mid-season.
In the wake of area teams’ regular-season and tournament games, two things are clear: the local softball teams are looking like contenders, and Strawberry Crest baseball looks like an early district title favorite.
SOFTBALL
Plant City and Strawberry Crest are fielding the top teams in 8A-6 and 8A-4 ball, respectively.
The Lady Raiders (7-1; 4-0 district) currently have a two-game district lead on second-place Durant and East Bay, thanks in part to Plant City’s 3-0 win at East Bay on Thursday, March 9. Plant City is currently undefeated in the month of March, with the team’s only loss coming in a 4-1 home loss to Strawberry Crest on Thursday, Feb. 28.
This team is sporting a .311 team batting average, though senior Edmilly Molina is enjoying a particularly hot stretch at the plate: she boasts a .571 batting average, getting 12 hits in 21 at-bats, and has 13 RBI with five doubles and a triple. Molina leads the district in batting average, RBI and slugging percentage (.904).
Strawberry Crest (7-2; 2-0 district) had a 1-2 record through its first three games, but have since turned things around in a big way. The Lady Chargers are in the midst of a six-game win streak, which will either be extended or ended with today’s Sarasota Slam tournament action.
The Crest offense has been extremely productive in March, outscoring opponents by a margin of 46 to 5. Junior Celia Higgins is the centerpiece of the offense, leading all area players and the 8A-4 district with a .680 average, 1,080 slugging percentage, .714 on base percentage and 11 runs scored. Senior Stephanie Dwyer has driven in 12 runs, good for second in the district.
The Durant Lady Cougars (5-3; 2-2 district) have also turned a corner in their season, winning four of their last five games before spring break. The team sported a .500 record heading into March, but did have a 9-1 win over Strawberry Crest on Thursday, Feb. 16 on its resume.
Senior pitcher Sloan Hammons is anchoring the Lady Cougars’ rotation. Hammons has a 1.40 ERA with 41 strikeouts and just eight earned runs allowed, giving up 24 hits against 165 batters faced. Freshman Kelly Swank is also enjoying a hot start, batting .458 with a team-high 11 hits.
BASEBALL
Strawberry Crest (7-1; 2-0 district) has been the area’s top baseball team, winning all of its first seven games.
The Chargers have gotten it done by making the most out of their scoring chances: when they get on base, which Jacob Heath (.500 OBP, leads district), Ben Pues (.435 OBP) and others tend to do, they tend to score runs. Also helping that cause is the base-stealing prowess of both Lance Mumford (seven steals) and Antonio Mussenden (five steals), who hold the district’s top two spots in that stat.
Wharton, also 2-0 in the district, has the best run differential (13 to 2) in 8A-4 play. Crest has also beaten the other 8A-4 teams, and will face Wharton Thursday, March 23.
The Durant Cougars (4-4; 2-2 district) have been searching for a winning formula.
The Cougars dropped three recent games, but have since been on the uptick. Including tournament action, the Cougars have a 3-1 record since Tuesday, March 7, including a 2-1 win over East Bay that put the team within one game of sole second-place possession.
The team is getting two-way play from senior ace Jonah Scolaro, who leads all batters with a .458 average (minimum 10 at-bats), 11 hits, three RBI, a triple and four doubles. The pitching staff is also getting a boost from Brien Johnston (2.33 ERA, 15 K, 9 IP), Reed Toney (0.00 ERA, 5 IP), Trey Brown (1.31 ERA, 5 IP) and Wyatt Hickey (1.91 ERA, 7.1 IP).
Plant City (2-6; 1-3 district) didn’t get off to the best start this season, having not picked up a win until it beat Bloomingdale, 5-2, on March 7.
The Raiders, who scored six runs between Tuesday, Feb. 21, and Saturday, March 11, have felt the effects of having both a tough schedule and the area’s youngest roster. But the team did get a boost in its second win of the year, a 16-0 win over Blake on Monday, March 13, in the Saladino Tournament. The team’s top performer at the plate has been Austin Eldridge, whose .550 OBP leads the district.
The Raiders are one game away from entering a tie for second place in the district, and have given up the second-fewest amount of runs (26) of all 8A-6 teams this season.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.