- May 1, 2024
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Lakewood Ranch High senior Sydney McCray beats a throw to first base against Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch High senior Sydney McCray slides into second base for a steal against Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch junior Cassidy McLellan throws from the outfield between innings against Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch High sophomore Ella Dodge pitched a complete game against Lake Brantley High, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks.
Lakewood Ranch High junior Addyson Bruneman catches a pop-up and turns to throw to first base against Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch High junior Addyson Bruneman takes a big cut against Lake Brantley High. Bruneman went 2-3 with a double and three RBIs.
Lakewood Ranch High junior Cassidy McLellan tosses her bat after hitting a sharp ground ball against Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch sophomore Ella Dodge tosses a ball to senior Kelsey Vogel for an out at first base against Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch High senior Grace Hogie socks a triple to kickstart a five-run fourth inning against Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch senior Ella Coiner leaps for joy after recording an RBI single against Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch High senior Grace Shaw-Rockey hit .345 with 21 RBIs as a junior in 2023 and will be an asset to new coach Taylor Gould.
File photoLakewood Ranch senior Amanda Lee was one of the team's big bats.
File photoLakewood Ranch High junior Addyson Bruneman watches her ball land for a triple against Lake Brantley High.
The Lakewood Ranch High dugout explodes during the team's five-run fourth inning against Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch High sophomore Ella Dodge ends her season with a program record 25 wins after pitching a complete game against Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch High driver's education teacher and flag football Coach Elijah Weaver stood in the outfield and held up signs of encouragement as the Mustangs took on Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch High senior Grace Hogie looks to Coach T.J. Goelz for signals as she rounds second base.
Lakewood Ranch High senior Grace Hogie and Head Coach T.J. Goelz high-five after Hogie tripled against Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch High senior Taylor Shepherd claps after hitting an RBI double against Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch High senior Taylor Shepherd slides safely into third base against Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch High junior Cassidy McLellan catches a fly ball in center field against Lake Brantley High.
Lakewood Ranch High sophomore Ella Dodge jumps for joy after tagging out Lake Brantley High's Jaiden Griffith to end the game.
The Mustangs pile on sophomore Ella Dodge after defeating Lake Brantley High 8-2 to win their second straight Class 7A state championship.
Lakewood Ranch High senior Taylor Shepherd hugs sophomore Grace Shaw-Rockey after the Mustangs beat Lake Brantley High 8-2 to win the Class 7A state championship.
Lakewood Ranch High Coach T.J. Goelz brings his players together for a celebration after the Mustangs defeated Lake Brantley High 8-2 to win the Class 7A state championship.
The Lakewood Ranch High softball fans in attendance at Legends Way Ball Fields in Clermont give the Class 7A state champion Mustangs a hearty cheer.
Lakewood Ranch senior Taylor Shepherd and junior Cassidy McLellan hug senior Sydney McCray (20) after the Mustangs defeated Lake Brantley High 8-2 to win the Class 7A state championship.
Lakewood Ranch High softball Head Coach T.J. Goelz holds up the team's Class 7A state championship trophy.
The Lakewood Ranch High softball team defeated Lake Brantley High 8-2 Saturday night in Clermont. The program has now won back-to-back championships.
The Mustangs celebrate with their Class 7A state championship trophy after beating Lake Brantley High 8-2.
Lakewood Ranch High softball Head Coach T.J. Goelz took a long look at the scoreboard after the Mustangs' 8-2 win Saturday against Lake Brantley High in the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 7A state championship, then shook his head.
"I kind of want to enjoy this one," Goelz said. "I didn't know what to expect. I really didn't. That was awesome."
Goelz was unsure for a reason. The defending champion Mustangs entered Saturday's game 29-2; both losses were to the Patriots (25-5), who beat Lakewood Ranch 11-0 and 5-3 in consecutive games in March. The Mustangs then went on a tear. As Goelz said before the game, the team the Patriots were playing Saturday is not the same team they beat twice in the regular season. But Lake Brantley was still sending senior Hannah Marien to the mound. Marien, who held the Mustangs scoreless across 10 innings in the first two matchups, entered the championship game with a 0.14 season ERA.
It didn't matter. Goelz was right: The Mustangs were a different team. Lakewood Ranch knocked Marien around, collecting eight runs off of her, seven of them earned runs, in five innings. Of the Mustangs' 10 hits, six went for extra bases. They were led by senior Grace Hogie, who hit two triples, and and junior Addyson Bruneman, who hit a triple and a double and collected three RBIs.
"We have been practicing hitting so much lately," Bruneman said. "This weekend my swing just felt good, smooth. I went into this game trying to swing hard and not focus too much on what pitch I thought was coming. I was just attacking the pitch as it came."
The Mustangs scored all their runs after the third inning. Lakewood Ranch sophomore pitcher Ella Dodge kept the Mustangs in the game while the team's offense warmed up. Dodge pitched a complete game and allowed two runs on five hits and four walks. She also recorded the final out of the game in spectacular fashion. With Lake Brantley freshman Jaiden Griffith on second base, Dodge faked a pickoff throw to second base. The rest of the Mustangs acted as though the ball went past shortstop Addyson Bruneman and into the outfield. Griffith bought it and broke for third base; Dodge easily chased her down and tagged her out, leaping for joy as the rest of her teammates ran to dogpile on her.
"They got two runs in the fourth inning and I was just like, 'Whatever,'" Dodge said. "Obviously you don't want that to happen but there was no doubt in my mind that our bats were going to come alive because they always do. Then we got five runs (in the bottom of the fourth) and that made me even more confident when I came back out (the rest of the game)."
Mustangs senior Sydney McCray said there was no secret to hitting Marien this time around. The Mustangs simply played better, she said. It was all in the preparation. The Mustangs were more patient, more willing to wait for the perfect pitch to hit instead of swinging away. McCray, who went 2-for-3, missed last year's championship win — and season — with an ACL injury. She still got a medal.
This year's feels a lot sweeter.
"Finishing off my career with a state championship win where I'm able to contribute, that's pretty great," McCray said.
