By Marshall Tempest
Reporter
The Apopka softball team defeated the No. 46 Horizon Hawks, 8-1, and the Sanford Seminoles, 12-7, this week after beating the Timber Creek Wolves, 10-9, last week. With the three wins, the Blue Darters have finished the regular season 20-4 and riding a 10-game winning streak. They are ranked 68th in the state, according to FHSAA on Wednesday, April 23.
Apopka vs. Timber Creek
This was a close one for Apopka as the Blue Darters gave up six runs in the second inning and had to fight to get back in the game. The Blue Darters scored three runs in the first, two in the second, four in the fourth, and one in the sixth.
The three runs in the first came in on a two-run double from Sydney Bartkin, followed by an RBI single from Alicia Lopez.
A single, two doubles and a triple from Timber Creek sent in the six runs at the top of the second, turning Apopka’s three-run lead into a three-run deficit. Apopka’s ace pitcher, Ava Millspaugh, started for the Blue Darters and had a tough inning on the mound. Mia Aeschilman came on in relief and ended the inning with a strikeout on the first batter she faced.
Now trailing 6-3, Apopka was in an unusual place as the team hadn’t been trailing in a game since their loss to Horizon at the start of April. But the Blue Darters got right to work, putting up two runs in the bottom of the second inning on a Shylah Pino single and a Taylor Smith sacrifice fly that closed the gap to 6-5.
The next three innings were a battle. The Wolves scored two more runs in the top of the third to stretch their lead to 8-5, then kept Apopka off the board in the bottom of the inning. Apopka then came alive in the fourth when Smith delivered a three-run homer to tie up the game, 8-8. Ava Gonzalez then sent in the go-ahead run on a hard ground ball single.
But the Wolves answered again, this time with a home run of their own in the fifth inning to tie up the game again at 9-9.
Apopka came to bat in the bottom of the sixth with the game still tied. Skyla Durand went on to deliver the game-winning run on a groundout to push Apopka ahead 10-9. The Blue Darter defense controlled the Wolves at the plate in the top of the seventh to secure the victory and keep their win streak intact.
Smith and Bartkin led Apopka at the plate in the win. Smith went 2-for-3 at the plate, bringing in two runs, four RBIs, a double and a home run. Bartkin went 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs and a double.
Apopka vs. Horizon
Earlier this season, the Blue Darters fell to the Horizon Hawks 7-5 in extra innings. In this matchup, they were out to prove that they were one of the best teams in Central Florida against a top-50-ranked program in the state. They did just that by defeating the No. 47 Hawks, 8-1, at Horizon.
Apopka started early, with Smith opening the game with a home run at the top of the first to put Apopka up 1-0. A single from Lopez sent in the second run, and a wild pitch allowed Lopez to scamper home for the third run. 
In the top of the third, Apopka put up two more runs on a Bartkin sacrifice bunt and a Riley Ford single.
In the fifth, Smith extended the Blue Darter lead when she smashed a solo homer over the left field wall to make it 6-0. It wasn’t until the bottom of the sixth when Horizon got its first and only run of the game. But Apopka still had something in the tank to finish the game.
In the top of the seventh it was once again Smith who sent in the final two runs on an attempted sacrifice bunt. But the Horizon defense committed an error allowing two runners to score.
Smith stood out at the plate for the Blue Darters in the win, finishing 2-for-3 with three runs scored, three RBIs, and the two home runs.
“She put us on her shoulders and brought home the win,” head coach Mike MacWithey said after the game. “That girl [Horizon’s pitcher] is committed to Penn State, and she was doing pretty good. So, you know, we said at the end of the game, we’ll take a North Carolina Tar Heel over a Penn State Nittany Lion because it was toe to toe, and our girl won.”
Apopka vs. Sanford
The Blue Darters beat the Sanford Seminoles, 12-7, to close out the regular season on Wednesday, April 23.
Apopka opened up the game with an incredible seven-run first inning. An RBI double from Smith started the rally. Lopez, Braylyn Pirillo and Pino followed with RBI hits, and Alezia Hatcher contributed an RBI groundout.
Apopka added a run in the second, three in the third and one in the fourth, keeping ahead of a feisty Sanford offense that scored one run in the second, two in the third, one in the fifth and three in the sixth.
Even with Sanford attempting to mount a comeback, the Blue Darters shut the Seminoles down with great at-bats, great defense and great pitching to finish the season strong.
Pino, Smith and Gonzalez stood out at the plate for Apopka in the win. Pino went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Smith went 1-for-2, scored once and had two RBIs and a double. Gonzalez went 1-for-3, tallying one run and two RBIs.
7A District 3 Tournament
The Blue Darters are now preparing for the Class 7A District 3 Tournament starting next week. As of Thursday, Lake Brantley was in first place in the district, followed by Apopka, Seminole, Ocoee and Lake Mary.
The district tournament bracket has the one, two, and three seeds getting a first-round bye, with the fourth and fifth seeds facing off in the first round. With Apopka at second in the district, they will have a first-round bye and face Seminole again in the second round of the district tournament. That game will take place at Apopka on Tuesday, April 29.
MacWithey said his and the team’s mentality going into the playoffs is about believing they can do it.
“I will keep repeating that Lake Brantley has made it very far, and we’re in their district, and we’re as good as they are,” Macwithey said. “Seminole went very far last year, and we’re as good, if not better than them. So why not you? Why not you? It’s your turn.”
