BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Takeirra Bakken and Leah Clark each hit a two-run double as Team Florida EvoShield-Taylor 18U — a travel softball team composed mostly of Bradford and Union County high school players (former and current) — defeated Velocity Elite 18U 7-2 to win the Southeast National Softball Association World Series on July 16.
The team, which has now won three tournaments with a combined record of 14-1, is coached by BHS Head Coach Kaylan Taylor, BHS assistant coaches Joey Taylor and Vince Tucker, and Fort White Head Coach Chad Padgett.
“It was such an amazing experience,” Kaylan Taylor said of the World Series win. “They’ve worked so hard this summer.”
Clark, a rising UCHS senior, batted .533 in six games and shared the team of five RBI with Bakken, a rising BHS senior who batted .412.
Masey Padgett, another BHS senior-to-be, batted .500 with four RBI, while former UCHS player Starla Vaughn batted .400 with three RBI.
BHS players Chrissy Samons and Blakeleigh Smith each had three RBI as well.
The team entered the World Series (which was played in Clearwater) with a 9-0 record, but lost its first game against Guardians Gold 18U on July 13 by a score of 2-1. Pitchers Madelyn Jones (Columbia) and Megan Sullivan (a recent UCHS graduate) combined to give up just one hit, but the team’s only run was a solo homer by Carter Gore (recent Madison County graduate).
Taylor said the coaches’ message to the players was that it was OK to lose the first game. The goal was to advance and not lose the last game.
“After that loss, they didn’t let it get them down,” Taylor said.
Later that same day, the team bounced back with a 4-1 win over Kaos Fastpitch. It was a 1-0 game in favor of Kaos until Vaughn hit a two-run double as part of a four-run third inning.
Until that inning, the team had managed just three hits in seven innings.
“It did take a little white to warm our bats up,” Taylor said.
Team Florida finished with 51 total hits in the World Series, with 19 going for extra bases.
In the win over Kaos, Smith led off the top of the third with a single. One out later, the bases were loaded after singles by Clark and BHS graduate Taylor Reddish. Vaughn then hit her double off an 0-2 pitch with two outs to push two runs across. Padgett reached on a ground-ball error that allowed another two runs to score.
Jones, who started in the circle, gave up one run on three hits in two innings. Sullivan gave up two hits in three innings.
On the tournament’s second day (July 14), Team Florida celebrated two back-to-back no-hitters by its pitchers.
“That was amazing,” Taylor said.
The bats were on fire that day as well, generating three home runs and six doubles in two games.
Jones threw the first no-hitter in a 13-0, four-inning win over Velocity 16U that saw Clark and Gore each hit a home run.
Clark hit a three-run homer as part of a seven-run second inning that also featured an RBI single by Smith and two errors that scored three runs.
Gore led off the top of the fourth with a solo homer. Padgett and Madison Highland (a rising BHS junior) hit one- and two-run singles, respectively, while Smith drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Clark also scored a run on a wild pitch.
Clark, Padgett, Reddish and Cassidy Spratlin (a recent BHS graduate) each went 2 for 3, while Gore went 2 for 4.
Jones gave up just two walks, while striking out four.
It was Sullivan’s turn next. She gave up four walks and struck out five in pitching a five-inning no-hitter as Team Florida defeated Velocity Elite 18U 4-0.
Bakken, who went 3 for 3, drove in the team’s first and last runs. The first occurred in the first inning off the first of her two doubles. She then hit a single in the fifth inning to score Gore, who doubled.
Padgett, who went 2 for 2, hit a solo homer, while Smith drove in a run on a second-inning single.
On July 15, Samons and Spratlin combined to drive in five runs as Team Florida defeated Brownett-Bartlett 10-2.
A six-run first inning began with Gore hitting a leadoff double and scoring on a Reddish single. After loading the bases on singles by Bakken and Vaughn, Padgett was hit by a pitch to force the second run in. Spratlin and Samons hit back-to-back singles, with Spratlin’s hit scoring one run and Samons’ hit scoring three.
Clark singled and stole second and third before scoring on a wild pitch in the second inning.
The fourth inning included RBI doubles by Bakken and Vaughn, while Spratlin drove in a run on a ground out.
Bakken and Vaughn each went 2 for 3.
Jones and Sullivan threw two innings each, with each giving up two hits and one run.
Team Florida advanced to the championship game, scoring the first six runs en route to the 7-2 win over Velocity Elite 18U.
Smith drew a walk to lead off the third. Gore and Clark hit back-to-back doubles, with Clark’s hit scoring Smith and Gore. Clark later scored on a passed ball.
The fourth inning began with a single by Samons. After Gore reached on an error, Samons scored on a steal of home. Clark reached on a double before Bakken, with two outs, hit a double of her own, scoring two runs to make it a 6-0 game.
Padgett added the last run on a solo home run in the fifth.
Clark and Padgett finished 2 for 2 and 2 for 3, respectively.
Sullivan started in the circle, giving up no runs on four hits through three innings. Jones gave up two hits in two innings.
Can Team Florida EvoShield-Taylor 18U win another championship? Perhaps. Taylor said the team’s going to try to get into one more tournament.
“They’re not ready to end the summer yet,” Taylor said of her players.
The team wishes to express its thanks to the following sponsors whose monetary support covered the World Series entry fee as well as other costs, such as team dinners: AAA Bail Bonds, the Bakken family, Brian’s Sports, Charnelle Whittemore Realty, Complete Comfort Air Conditioning, Denmark Mini Storage, Florida Twin Theatre, Hometown Electrical LLC, Raiford Wreckshop, Rock Contractors, Rountree Moore Ford, Speedy Floor Removal, Spratlin Site Prep, Teal Tile Carpet One, Thompson’s Garage, Townsend’s Timber and Trent Giebeig’s Construction.
Taylor said the support was a tremendous surprise, adding, “I wasn’t sure how it would work out with it being a travel-ball team, but (the community) really exceeded our expectations.”
