The Apopka Blue Darters softball team is 6-3 after its 4-game mercy streak was snapped in a loss to the Winter Springs Bears, 5-2, Tuesday night.  

The Blue Darters jumped ahead by two runs in the first inning after Shylah Pino singled and scored on a wild pitch. Alicia Lopez crossed the plate after a deep sacrifice fly by Riley Ford. 

In the second inning, Winter Springs (9-3) took over. After a couple of singles and an error, two runners stole home with two outs. Three more hits led to two more runners crossing home for the Bears to go up 4-2. 

Winter Springs’ pitching completely shut down the Darters for rest of the game. After adding an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning, they closed out the game not allowing a hit in the next two innings to win 5-2. 

Prior to the defeat, Apopka was steamrolling through teams. After consecutive double digit wins over Ocoee and Wekiva, the Blue Darters continued their onslaught against Lake Mary, 20-8, and West Orange, 10-0. 

In their shutout victory over the West Orange Warriors (5-6), Mia Aeschilman pitched five innings and struck out six batters.  

The pivotal runs scored in the third inning after Apopka loaded the bases. A wild pitch led to a run, then Pino singled to right field scoring Victoria Shaw and Callie Sowers. A sacrifice fly from Lopez, and error off of Ford’s hit drove in two more runs. 

Apopka’s one- and two-hole hitters led the charge. Pino contributed three hits, two RBIs and two runs, while Lopez ripped two hits for three RBIs and scored a run. 

The matchup with Lake Mary (3-9) went seven innings after the Darters scoring 13 runs in the first two. They added another run in the third and were up 14-5 by the end of the fourth inning.  

The seventh inning was the dagger for the Darters, as they scored six more runs. Apopka rattled off 21 hits in the game, five of them coming from Pino in a two-run, three-RBI effort. Sydney Bartkin’s bat was also on fire, going 4-for-5 with four runs scored and two RBIs. 

The Blue Darters are set to hit the road for their next game at 7 p.m. on Thursday against Horizon (8-3).