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Branford's softball team celebrates winning the Region 3-1A championship after defeating Taylor County 14-3 in five innings on Tuesday night. (PAUL BUCHANAN/Special to the Reporter)
BRANFORD — Cera McElreath’s emotions were sky high.
Oscar Saavedra called it a dream.
Branford keeps making history, this time with a trip to the state Final Four.
Less than a week after winning the first playoff game in program history, the Class 1A No. 5 Buccaneers routed No. 8 Taylor County 14-3 in five innings at home Tuesday night to win the Region 1-3A championship. It continues a fairytale season for Branford, which made the playoffs for just the third time ever this year.
Now the Buccaneers are just two wins from a state title. Up next is a trip to Clermont for the state semifinals next Tuesday to face top-ranked Trenton, which beat No. 2 Dixie County 4-0 for the Region 4-1A title.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Saavedra, who is in his sixth season as head coach. “If it’s a dream, I don’t want to wake up. It’s surreal. It’s really unbelievable. The girls wanted it and they showed up to play.”
The game was never in doubt. The Buccaneers scored three runs in the first inning, added another in the second and then exploded for nine more in the third.
The rout was on as Branford (15-4) dominated the second straight meeting with Taylor County (18-9) after winning the District 6-1A championship 9-0 two weeks ago. It was the seventh straight win for the Buccaneers, who are on this magical ride with five eighth graders in their lineup.
“This is awesome. It’s incredible,” McElreath said. “I knew this team was capable. Everyone kind of doubted us because we had five eighth graders but those five eighth graders work harder than anyone I know. With them we just took over and with a mix of our underclassmen we just killed it.”
Two of those eighth graders were second baseman Cloey Cirggall and third baseman Madyson Sikes, who combined to go 3 for 7 with four RBIs and four runs scored. Another was pitcher Laila Arnold, who went the full game in the circle and only allowed one earned run on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
The Buccaneers got help from their upperclassmen too. McElreath, the team’s senior shortstop, was 2 for 3 with three RBIs and junior right fielder Joslynn Bars drove in three more runs on a perfect 3-for-3 night.
Seniors Evie Pitts and Gracie Boling, along with eighth grader Morgan Brennan, also had one RBI apiece.
“I’ve been waiting for this group for two years,” Saavedra said. “I’ve been following them through rec ball and middle school. I only let them play middle school one year before bringing them up. I figured the first year we’d go out there and get beat a couple of times but it didn’t turn out that way. I think sometimes that maybe it’s because they’re so young. Do they really know what’s going on?
“The old girls get nervous and think we’ve got to have this. But these young girls play like we’ve got nothing to lose. They just want to play and have fun and that’s what they did.”
Sikes hit an RBI double for the game’s first run, McElreath followed with an RBI single and Barrs drove in another run. Just like that, Taylor County was in a 3-0 hole, and the pressure was on.
And the Buccaneers continued to apply it.
“It really shut them down and let us keep building,” McElreath said of the first inning. “And our dugout was ecstatic tonight and I feel like that just fed into the game.”
Criggall added an RBI groundout to put Branford up 4-0 through two innings before the game completely got away from Taylor County in the third. The Buccaneers sent 13 batters to the plate in the frame, with the first three taking pitcher Adrianna Carter out of the circle after just two innings in the box score.
Carter gave up a leadoff double to Brennan, who then scored on McElreath’s RBI single before Barrs followed with another single. That was it for Carter, who was ultimately charged with six earned runs on six hits and a hit batter.
Hannah Shiver replaced Carter but couldn’t stop the bleeding. McElreath scored on an error, two more runs scored on bases-loaded walks and two more scored on fielder’s choices on late throws to home plate.
That brought McElreath back to bat again and she hit an RBI sac fly before Barrs smacked a 2-RBI single for a 13-0 lead.
“They had to feel pressure when we came up hitting,” Saavedra said. “When something happens to me that way, immediately the girls feel it. It works that way. It’s just how strong your mind is.”
The Bulldogs finally got two runs in the fourth thanks to an RBI single by Trista Knowles and an error. Criggall then gave the Buccaneers another run with an RBI single in the bottom half of the inning.
Taylor County’s only other run came via an error in the fifth.
“They wanted it,” Saavedra said. “All week I told them it’s up to you all. We worked all year hard and now this is when you produce and that’s what they did.”
UP NEXT
Branford's state semifinal matchup with Trenton will be next Tuesday at Legends Way Ball Fields at 2 p.m. in Clermont.