It took a grueling 11 innings of play, but the Plant City Raiders booked a trip to Vero Beach to play for the 8A state championship with a 1-0 win over the nationally-ranked Lakewood Ranch Mustangs on Friday, May 12.
The Raiders picked up the win thanks to some late-game heroics at the plate and Edmilly Molina's quick feet from third base. Making the win even sweeter for Plant City is the fact that it put this team where no other Raiders squad has gone before.
"First time in (Plant City High School) history," head coach Ashley Bullion says. "We played our hearts out."
Plant City went into the game as the clear underdog, despite a 21-2 record. MaxPreps.com had Lakewood Ranch ranked as the top team in Florida and eighth in the nation, and the Mustangs had smacked a whopping 43 home runs in 2017. Bullion says that with those stats and that reputation in mind, there was no question that the Raiders weren't going to be favored in the matchup.
That was, possibly, just what Plant City needed.
"We were not picked to win," Bullion says. Being in that situation, I think, took a lot of pressure off the girls, made it more fun for them. They just knew if they played as flawless as possible, we had a good chance."
It wasn't a flawless game for either team, but it was marked by a classic pitchers' duel. Plant City sophomore Ashley Blessin and Lakewood Ranch senior Logan Newton, determined to gain the upper hand, each recorded 15 strikeouts. Bullion says that, by the end of the game, it was apparent that the finish would come down to one side tiring out or making the first mistake.
That went to Lakewood Ranch.
The game got out of Newton's control in the 11th inning, Plant City's final at-bat. After striking out three times, Molina solved the puzzle and hit a double to get on base. Beka Schulte sent Molina to third base with a single and, on what was to be the fourth ball while attempting to walk Emily Longoria, a passed ball allowed Molina to score from third.
"From the top to the bottom of our lineup, we fought," Bullion says. "We fought every inning. We never got rattled, never felt the urgency, just played our game and capitalized on their mistake."
The Raiders held on for the win and, almost four hours after the first pitch, were elated. Another goal had been met, another dream had been realized and all eyes turned to one final prize. Plant City will first have to get past Wellington on Friday, May 19, to get to the championship game, but whether the team is still the underdog or not, Bullion says that the girls' "champion mentality" has never been stronger.
"The best I've seen all of them play, ever," Bullion says. "They wanted this for themselves and for each other. The love they have for each other is great … they truly have the team, family and champion mentality."
Plant City is scheduled to face Wellington at 5:20 p.m. Friday, May 19, on Field 10 at the Historic Dodgertown complex, 3901 26th St., Vero Beach. The winner will face the winner of Oakleaf High School and St. Thomas Aquinas High School at 5:35 p.m. Saturday, May 20, on Field 8.