- May 20, 2026
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Serious attention to detail is necessary to win at this point of the high school softball postseason. The biggest games can be decided by the smallest margins.
For Sarasota High, one run proved to be the difference between the end of its season and a chance to move within two wins of a state championship.
The Sailors just couldn’t bring home that all-important run.
In the FHSAA Class 7A-Region 3 final, No. 2 seed Sarasota (22-6) suffered a 3-2 loss to No. 1 seed East Ridge (27-2), played May 14 at East Ridge High School in Clermont. Having reached the state semifinals last season, the team came painfully close to a regional title repeat.
An early deficit didn’t help. The Knights put up a pair of runs in the first inning and tacked on another in the second, quickly getting to junior pitcher/outfielder Gemma Mulhollen.
That forced the Sailors to play from behind — a rare situation this season. They assembled a rally in the sixth frame, but with two outs, stranded the tying run at second base.
Coach Andrew Jensen, who believed home-field advantage factored into the outcome, said offensive shortcomings sealed his team’s fate.
“We struggled to string together hits consecutively in the same inning,” Jensen said. “A lot of our hits throughout the course of the game were scattered throughout… We just couldn't get that third runner in, and unfortunately, with two well-balanced teams, they came out on top.”
No doubt, it was a difficult end to an otherwise successful season. Losing in a blowout is one thing, but losing by one run is another.
Sarasota won the 7A-12 district title this season over Venice. It lost to that rival in the 2025 district semifinals before ripping off a Cinderella run to reach the state semifinals.
When all was said and done, the Sailors piled up 22 wins, their most since 2015. Five of their six defeats came against teams now ranked top-50 in the state — No. 3 Bartow, No. 9 Parrish Community, No. 20 East Ridge, No. 48 Mitchell and No. 50 McKeel Academy.
High school softball ends with those highs for third baseman/pitcher Ashlan Guengerich, as well as four other seniors who steered this year’s ship.
“At the end of the day, it wasn't our night, but I'm always just going to fall back on the fact that we won districts against Venice,” Guengerich said. “That was a huge game for us.”
When Sarasota embarked on this season, seeking to defend its 7A-3 regional title, it did so without crucial pieces from the past.
Outfielder Sommer Speers — its top hitter — graduated after posting a .500 batting average as a senior. So did outfielder Carley Ramsden, whose .381 mark was fourth-best for the Sailors.
They expected those losses. But they were also thrown a curveball.
Heather Mushrush departed the program following four seasons as coach, and was replaced with Jensen, who previously coached Lakewood Ranch in 2025. Sarasota succeeded all the same, and along the way, its new leader learned some lessons he’ll carry with him into year two.
“Just constantly never give up. Keep working hard,” Jensen said. “Going into (this season), there was some speculation that we wouldn't be as good as the year before.”
Offensively, Guengerich was terrific with 30 RBIs and five home runs — both team highs — to complement her .454 batting average. Senior center fielder/outfielder Gianna Williams was even better at the plate with a .522 average, though in 16 games played.
Mulhollen, too, had a strong season aside from her struggles in the regional final. She posted a 1.88 ERA and 16-3 record with 88 strikeouts against 32 walks. In 2027, she’ll be the Sailors’ most important returner.
Sarasota should also have some solid bats back in the lineup when next season rolls around. Outfielder/first baseman Jade Hendrickson and shortstop Olivia Lockhart hit .447 and .414, respectively, as juniors.
“We’re going to tie our shoelaces up and get back at it again next season,” Jensen said. “And I feel fairly confident that we can repeat the success we've had this year.”
Next season is the distant future, though. It's time to reflect on the season that was.
Guengerich served as co-captain alongside senior catcher/utility Gia DePastino, and led the Sailors through thick and thin.
“Being able to help out the girls… that’s really helped this season stand out differently,” Guengerich said. “I was just really proud of how far we came as a team and how far I've come as a leader.”
Sarasota finished just shy of a second consecutive berth in the 7A state semifinals, but in doing so, the Sailors still returned to the regional finals.
They claimed a district crown, and over the course of their season, collected the most wins the program had experienced in over a decade.
It takes a special team to go as far as they did. That much should not be forgotten.
