On Thursday night, the Springstead Eagles softball team, led by junior pitcher Alivia Miller, secured the 5A District 8 championship with a 2-0 victory over the Wesley Chapel Wildcats at Cypress Creek High School. Miller pitched a complete game, striking out 12 batters and hitting a two-run home run in the top of the second inning.
The Eagles, with a record of 19-2, avenged a previous loss to the Wildcats, who had a record of 19-8. Miller’s home run, described by Springstead Softball Head Coach Craig Swartout as “an absolute moonshot,” cleared the chain links and landed near a blue vehicle beyond the outfield fence. Swartout praised Miller, saying, “She is elite of the elite. She is a unicorn, man. She is the best softball player I have ever seen. There is nothing she can’t do.”
The win marked a successful outing for Miller and the Eagles, who were focused and locked in throughout the game. “We got up 2-0 in the second and she just shut it down the rest of the way,” Coach Swartout said. “We played [Wesley Chapel] last week and they beat us 7-0, but I knew that was not our best effort. Tonight, we were focused and locked in from the time we got to the field until the time we got here.”
Originally reported by Hernando Sun
Sources: Hernando Sun
