The Lady Conchs kept their dreams of a state title alive with a resounding 7-1 win over the Cougars of Barron Collier High School on May 7. Key West, ranked third regionally, picked off the sixth-ranked Cougars in The Backyard to advance to the next round of play.
The game was tied at zero until the fourth frame, when Key West broke things open with a Shylo Sanchez solo homer to center field. Then with two outs, the Conchs put together a rally of three more hits, a walk and a Barron Collier error to tack on three more to head into the top of the fifth with a 4-0 lead.
At their next at-bat, Key West added two on a Skye Sterling homer sent sailing into center field. The lead was plenty to keep the Cougars at bay, and at the end of the final frame, Key West had earned a spot in FHSAA’s 4A Sweet 16.
In total, the Conchs amassed 10 hits, including two each from Sanchez and Lilee Gage. Aaliyah McLeod, Tavyn Gage, Vera Rodger, Maicey Gage, Kaleya Cervantes and Sterling accounted for the rest.
Key West’s win was sealed by an error-free defense and a spectacular performance by Brianna Brenner in the circle. Brenner pitched a full game, striking out 14 batters, walking two and allowing just two hits against a regionally-ranked Barron Collier offense. The sophomore sensation currently leads the district in strikeouts with 113, and her 1.92 ERA is top in District 16 and appears on the top-10 leaderboard for all of 4A.
Next up for Key West was the regional semifinals, where they played second-seeded Archbishop McCarthy on May 13 (results not available at press time). The Mavericks and No. 3-seeded Conchs both boast 15-7 records, and though the teams do not have any shared opponents this season, they match well against one another in all statistical areas.
MAICEY MALGRAT//Keys Weekly
