VERO BEACH, Fla. – It was a heartbreaking finish for the Ridgeview softball team.
Layla Taylor belted a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning as Sebring topped the Panthers 6-4 in the Class 6A state semifinals in Vero Beach.
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The Panthers (22-9), who had never been past the second round of the state playoffs until this year, played like postseason veterans in their final four debut.
After watching their 3-1 lead dissolve after Sebring plated two in the bottom of the sixth, Ridgeview battled when the game went into extras. Natalie Foret led off the eighth with a single and Tatiana Illas reached on Sebring’s sixth error of the game.
A sacrifice and a walk loaded the bases for Raven Little, who hit the ball deep enough to center field to allow Foret to tag up from third and score for a 4-3 lead. But Sebring (26-2) came surging back, tying the game on a sac fly, putting another runner on and then getting Taylor’s homer to end it.
🚨WALK-OFF🚨
— FHSAA (@FHSAA) May 23, 2019
🥎 FINAL
Sebring 6@RHSAthletics18 4
2019 #FHSAA Class 6A Softball Semifinal pic.twitter.com/CuYNj8wP0D
Brittany Michael struck out 10 for the Panthers.
It was all Ridgeview in the early going.
Hannah Foster provided the early insurance, roping a two-out line drive to centerfield that drove in a pair of runs in the second. Alyssa Adams belted a solo home run in the following inning and the Panthers took a quick 3-0 lead.
Sebring pushed its lone run across following a double in the bottom of the fourth and was mostly limited from open to close at the plate against Michael, who was sensational in the circle. She didn’t allow a hit until before that double by Alyssa Perez that came with two outs in the fourth.