Apopka softball’s Teacher Impact Night brought appreciation and honor on Friday, as the Blue Darters honored educators who shaped their lives while also paying tribute to longtime teacher and coach Dr. Paul Howell, who died the previous night. They also honored Paul Peters, who died last summer.   

Head coach Mike MacWithey said the night carried extra meaning beyond the result. 

“We recognized Dr. Paul Howell and Paul Peters and released balloons in their memory,” he said. “Teachers don’t get enough thanks for what they do. It’s a thankless job sometimes, and it’s important to recognize the good things.” 

A rare appearance from the school band — its first at a softball game in 40 years — set the tone for a fun night. Once the game started, Apopka did what it has done consistently during its current surge. 

Behind an explosive offensive showing and another sharp outing in the circle, Apopka rolled past Innovation 15-0 in three innings Friday night, extending its winning streak to 11 games and improving to 17-4 on the season. 

Apopka wasted no time taking control. 

In the top of the first inning, pitcher Ava Millspaugh set the tone by retiring Innovation in order with a groundout, flyout and another groundout. 

The Blue Darters’ offense followed with a seven-run outburst in the bottom half. 

Leadoff hitter Shylah Pino opened with a bunt single, then stole second. Alicia Lopez drove her in with a double to open the scoring. After Taylor Smith drew a walk, Ford brought home another run with an RBI groundout. Ava Gonzalez added an RBI single through the infield, and Millspaugh helped her own cause with a hit. 

Anamarie Lopez followed with an RBI single before Braylyn Pirillo worked a walk to load the bases. 

That set the stage for sophomore Callie Sowers, who delivered the biggest swing of the inning – a line-drive triple down the first-base line that cleared the bases and pushed the lead to 7-0. 
 

Millspaugh worked around a leadoff walk in the second, allowing no runs thanks to a groundout, a comebacker and a strikeout. 

In the bottom half, the Blue Darters continued the onslaught. 

Smith again got things started with a walk, then stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw. Ford reached on an outfield error, allowing Smith to score. Millspaugh singled, and Anamarie Lopez was hit by a pitch to load the bases. 

With two outs, Sowers delivered again — this time driving a ball into the gap. The ball rolled to the wall after getting past the outfielder, and Sowers never slowed down, circling the bases for an inside-the-park home run as all three runners scored ahead of her. 

The play capped a remarkable two-at-bat stretch for Sowers, who accounted for seven RBIs and extended the lead to 12-0. 

Apopka turned to Mia Aeschilman in the circle in the third inning, and she quickly retired the side with two groundouts and a fly ball. 

The Blue Darters then ended the game early with another offensive burst. 

Smith ripped a worm burner past shortstop and stole second once more, while Ford drew a walk and Gonzalez added a base hit. Millspaugh’s ground ball resulted in a force out, but Smith scored on the play to make it 13-0. Aeschilman then walked to load the bases. 

Pirillo delivered the final blow, ripping a shot down the third-base line to drive in two runs and secure the 15-0, mercy-rule victory. 

The win marked Apopka’s 11th straight, matching last season’s longest streak at the end of the year. 

According to MacWithey, the team’s key to success has been built on a combination of strong pitching, improved hitting and overall cohesion. 

“Our pitching has been pretty point on,” he said. “We’ve done really well there. We’ve worked more on hitting, communication, defensive details — it’s just all been clicking. We just hope it stays together and we keep doing what we’re doing.” 

Despite the lopsided result Friday, MacWithey emphasized that the focus now shifts to a challenging stretch to close the regular season. 

“We’ve got Oviedo on Tuesday and Spruce Creek on Wednesday,” MacWithey said. “Spruce Creek is another highly ranked team, so that’ll be a big one. But we can’t take Oviedo for granted — they had a big win against Seminole. We’ll take care of business at home and then get ready for the road.” 

Apopka’s home matchup against Oviedo is at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night. The Blue Darters play at 6 p.m. one night later against Spruce Creek (15-6) and will host the Class 7A District 3 tournament April 27-30.