RAINING RUNS: LADY FINS SCORE 75 IN 3 GAMES

a female baseball player holding a bat in her hands
Shaina Robinson. BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly

Less than a week after opening their season with a 27-14 onslaught, Marathon’s softball team traveled to Ransom Everglades on Feb. 26 to take on the Raiders in Miami – and showed no signs of slowing down. The Lady Fins racked up seven hits against Ransom, including three from Madelyn Thornton, who homered and tripled, plus two from seventh-grader Shaina Robinson, who doubled. 

Dani Perdomo and Elena Eubank each added a hit for Marathon. The Lady Fins stole a dozen bases, with Perdomo leading the pilfering with four. Thornton teamed up with Sara Robinson in the circle to strike out five Raiders. The 19-9 win put the Fins at 2-0 in early-season action with 46 runs scored in just two games.

Coral Shores found success at Pine Crest School on Feb. 26, defeating the Panthers 25-22. According to the coaching staff, the Hurricanes had an impressive showing at the plate, with consistent hitting and solid base running. Addison Grady led the charge with four base hits. Melanie Estevez registered two singles and a double, and Presley Bagwell and Abby Vogt each added a pair of hits to the total. 

The Lady ’Canes have struggled the past two seasons, but coach Lesa Bonee is confident this year’s group is headed in the right direction. 

“We’re excited,” she said, adding that her group of athletes has plenty of talent. 

“They’re young, they’re learning the game, but they’re athletic,” she said. Last season, the team struggled with numbers, but the 17-athlete roster this season, with the majority being freshmen, gives the Hurricanes a lot to look forward to in the coming seasons.

The Lady Conchs fell to 3-2 after a loss to Schoolhouse Prep in Miami. Aaliyah Mcleod, Tavyn Gage and Vera Rodger each had a base hit for Key West in the 11-2 defeat.

a girl in a blue and white uniform holding a baseball bat
Madelyn Thornton. BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly
Tracy McDonald
Tracy McDonald fled to the Keys from the frozen mountains of Pennsylvania hours after graduating from college and never looked back. She is a second generation coach and educator, and has taught in the public school system for over 25 years. She and her husband met at a beginning teacher meeting in 1997 and have three children born and raised in Monroe County. In her free time, McDonald loves flea markets, historical fiction and long runs in the heat.