LONGWOOD — Go ahead and crown Columbia High.
The Tigers held off Lake Wales 3-2 on Saturday morning to win the Class 4A state championship at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park. It’s the program’s second title, also winning in 2013.
Columbia (29-3) got a two-run triple from Emily Delgado in the fourth to take a 2-0 lead and then tacked on a third run in the fifth on an Alannah Lord single.
The Highlanders (25-7), though, continued to battle, scratching across single runs in both the sixth and seventh innings. However, CHS freshman pitcher Ryleigh Stone left the bases loaded in both innings, getting a strikeout to end the sixth with a 3-1 lead and then getting a fly out to right to finish off the championship win.
Complete coverage will be online soon and in the Wednesday print edition.