These Lady Darters are Stepping Up to the Plate

Carson Mays, Staff Writer|April 11, 2022

Apopka softball had a 20-6 record last year, but did not get to where they wanted to go after falling short to Oviedo in the second round of the playoffs. This year, they look to make their mark on Apopka’s rich sports history by adding another state championship banner inside of Joe A. Sterling gymnasium.

Assistant Coach Mickey Hullinger and Junior OF Jaelyn Diller

Currently, the team holds a 10-3 record which equates to a 77 percent win percentage. They have wins against Lake Nona(13-2), Eustis(1-0), Ocoee(9-5), Lake Mary(3-2), West Orange (6-2), Lake Buena Vista(16-0), Trinity Christian Academy(16-1), Evans(16-0), DuPoint Manual who is the number 7 team in the state of Kentucky(5-2), and Ocoee(9-6). Their 3 losses have came against Lake Brantley(4-2), Winter Springs(4-3), and Lake Mary(6-3).

The Lady Darters are held together by their strong defense which is led by junior pitcher Abigayle Ellison(Webber International University commit) who has 6 wins and 3 losses, a 2.03 ERA, and 39Ks in 249 batters faced. While Ellison has done a majority of the pitching this year, other members of the pitching staff include sophomores Sarah Sosa and Brooke-lynn Hilderbrand. They have composited a 1.93 ERA which is substantially lower than the national average of 5.74. These girls could not do what they do without the help of their defense in which every member has an above .800 fielding percentage. Six players have a .1000 fielding percentage which includes: junior P/1B Sarah Sosa, junior OF Anabel O’Donnell, junior OF Jaelyn Diller, sophomore P/OF Brooke-lynn Hilderbrand, junior P Abigayle Ellison, and senior 2B Aubrey Evans(UCF Softball Signee). They have a team fielding percentage of 0.967 which as above the national average of 0.884 along with only 10 errors which is nearly half of the national average of 19. The Lady Darters also have turned 14 double plays which is way above the national average of just 2. The common saying is, “Defense wins championships,”and this year’s team has the defense to do just that.

On the other side of the ball, the offense is led by their star-studded one-hole and three-hole, Jesiana Mora(Florida Atlantic University signee) and Aubrey Evans. Mora and Evans have put together an amazing season with a .667 and .485 batting average respectively. Evans has 5 home runs on the season; she even had a single game with 3, which is more than the rest of the team combined. Other notable members of the Lady Darter offense are senior 3B Avery Brewer who is batting .436 with 1 home run, senior OF Savannah McAfee who is batting .357, and sophomore P/1B Sarah Sosa who is batting .321. The offense as a whole has a .345 batting average which is higher than the .325 national average. They have also totaled 102 runs (64 national average), 110 hits (72 national average) and 85 runs batted in (51 national average). The Lady Darters look to continue putting up big numbers in hopes of bringing home the big trophy.

The Blue and White was able to get in touch with a few of the senior players to get their thoughts on the season:

What are your thoughts on the season?

Abigail Dubois: I feel like we have really came together as a team throughout this season and we are really putting in the hard work to be a great team.

Aubrey Evans: This season has had its ups and downs but the best part is that we have really good team chemistry and everyone has fun.

Savanna Conley: This season has been very fun, everyone enjoys everyone and everyone is happy, and for this being my last ride it’s one of the best seasons.

Jesiana Mora: My thoughts on the season are always high. I believe with the talent we all bring to the table and the team chemistry and heart for the game we have, we can beat any team.

What’s your favorite memory of the season?

Abigail Dubois: My favorite memory of the season is our pre-game meals at Chick-Fil-A.

Aubrey Evans: My favorite memory this season is beating the defending state champions, Eustis, 1-0 at their home place for our second win of the season.

Savanna Conley: Winning the Eustis game 1-0 was so much fun.

Jesiana Mora: My favorite memory on this season is the Eustis game. We lost last year but we came into this year against the reigning state champs and beat them.

What do you enjoy most about playing softball?

Abigail Dubois: I enjoy the team atmosphere and being able to have fun while working hard at the same time.

Aubrey Evans: What I enjoy most about playing softball is the competitive atmosphere and meeting a bunch of new people.

Savanna Conley: All the laughs and friendships I’ve created.

Jesiana Mora: I mostly enjoy softball because it i something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little girl. I think the competitiveness, heart, grit, and mentality I’ve built over the years has made me become the player I am today. I enjoy the friendships made, memories created, and laughs shared which has brought the most joy out of my heart.

This year’s Blue Darter Softball team has already created a season for the history books and looks to add onto to that throughout the rest of the season. If you haven’t been to a game, I suggest you check one out before the end of the season and even if you have, there are still plenty more to attend. These girls would appreciate your support as they embark on their journey to potentially win it all.