Baker County softball team thunders into state championship game

Baker County is headed to the softball state championship game after a dominant showing in the final four.

Baleigh Shields homered and Karis Richardson drove in four runs as the Wildcats crushed Plantation American Heritage 10-0 in a six inning mercy rule thrashing in the Class 4A state semifinals on Wednesday in Clermont. Baker County (21-5) will face Eustis at 7 p.m. on Thursday for the state championship.

The semifinal win was a rematch of the 2015 title game, won in a 1-0 thriller by Baker County.

Keyia Nelson, Shields, Richardson and Mallory Jackson had two hits apiece for the Wildcats, who broke open a scoreless game with a four-run fourth inning. They tacked on another five runs in the fifth and cruised. Rylee Walker whiffed five in five innings of work and Chloe Woods struck out another.