When University Christian softball coach Keith Stroud surveyed his lineup at the season's start, he realized that his state champion lineup was about to get young. Really young.
That meant one thing: Sophia Kardatzke , Jaleigha Harris and Kate Dell'Alba, cornerstones of University Christian softball since their middle school days, were about to become more important than ever.
"They're just that brick wall," Stroud said.
One year after winning it all, UC's seniors are leading the hunt for a state championship repeat entering the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 2A softball semifinals against Fort Pierce John Carroll Catholic.
The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday at Legends Way Ball Fields in Clermont. That's the same site where UC won its first-ever FHSAA title last year, when they beat Evangelical Christian 3-2 behind a decisive RBI from Harris and another powerful outing in the circle from USC Upstate signee Kardatzke.
The seniors are going strong for one more week for UC — Harris homered in Friday's regional final triumph over Providence, Dell'Alba went deep twice with six RBI against Trinity Christian in the regional semis, and Kardatzke's patented blazing-fast pitches netted 10 strikeouts — and if they win Tuesday, it could be Evangelical Christian waiting once more in the final.
"The best part is they lead the younger ones by example," Stroud said.
Those younger players, including four from the middle school grades, are emerging as the next wave for the team on Jacksonville's Southside. Sixth-grader Lydia Smith went 4 for 4 with two RBI in the regional championship, and fellow sixth-grader Mila Lackowski tripled with three RBI in the same game.
UC is bidding to make history for Northeast Florida, joining Bartram Trail (2008-09) and Eagle's View (2008, 2009 and 2010) as the area's only back-to-back champions in a softball tournament that's proven fiendishly difficult for locals over the decades.
By now, nobody knows the Clermont routine better than the UC seniors. They've been final-four participants in the last five postseasons, ever since Kardatzke pitched them to the state semis as a seventh-grader in 2019.
"It's kind of like a home away from home," Stroud said. "You've been there before, so it's not like all of a sudden you're on this big stage."
CLASS 2A SOFTBALL SEMIFINAL
University Christian (18-7) vs. John Carroll Catholic (24-6)
When : 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Where : Legends Way Ball Fields, Clermont.
Winner meets: Fort Myers Evangelical Christian or Academy at the Lakes, 4 p.m. Wednesday.
How they got here : University Christian defeated St. Joseph 21-2, Trinity Christian 12-3, Providence 12-2; John Carroll Catholic defeated Oxbridge Academy 5-4, Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy 8-5, Miami Christian 12-3.
Keys to watch for UC : It's simple enough: When the hard-throwing Kardatzke (17-5, 1.57 ERA, 195 K, 56 BB) is on target from the circle, UC is tough to stop. She's long ranked among North Florida's deadliest batters (.667, 11 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR) and for this reason often draws intentional walks. So UC counts on Jaleigha Harris (.338, 7 2B, 5 HR, 33 RBI), Kate Dell'Alba (.373, 6 2B, 5 HR, 28 RBI) and junior Kylie Shannon (.353, 5 2B, 24 RBI) to supplement her run production.
Keys to watch for John Carroll: The Rams have had a wild ride to get here, including a nine-inning playoff against Oxbridge. Isabella Ramirez (10-4, 2.06 ERA) and Makayla Ortiz (8-2, 1.75 ERA) are the one-two pitching tandem, and John Carroll Catholic will confront UC with a particularly deep batting order. Indian River State College-signed shortstop Sophia Loreto (.463, 8 2B, 26 RBI) and freshman Mackenzie Mostoller (.382, 10 2B, 28 RBI) are among multiple standouts at the plate.
They said it: "Three or four weeks in, this team was really coming together, and you can see they really play for each other." — Keith Stroud, University Christian coach.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Eyes on a repeat: University Christian chases back-to-back FHSAA softball championships
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