Bayshore defense struggles in Class 5A state softball title game

VERO BEACH -- Mirian Schmoll and LaShara James lived up to their reputations. Unfortunately, they couldn't get help from their friends.

The Bayshore standouts carried the Bruins to Historic Dodgertown, but an avalanche of errors left the Bruins on the short end of a 9-2 score to Coral Springs Charter in the Class 5A state softball championship game Saturday.

The Bruins (18-4) committed six errors along with a few mental ones that put Schmoll in a hole with no way out.

"If we don't make the errors, we probably win 2-0," Bayshore head coach Frank Luther said. "But that happens in softball and when it does it seems to be contagious. It kind of got us and bit us today. I don't think they earned any of their runs. If we make those plays they don't score. To her credit, Miriam didn't get baffled by all the errors."

LaShara James did her part, slugging two homers to finish the season with a team-high 10. Unfortunately, both came with the bases empty as Coral Springs Charter pitcher Ally Muraskin struck out 14 one day after striking out 13 while throwing a no-hitter in the state semifinals against South Sumter. She intentionally walked Schmoll twice, including her last plate appearance with two out in the seventh and Bayshore trailing 9-2.

"LaShara is a phenomenal athlete and knows she can hit. She got a little too anxious her first two at-bats, dipped her shoulder

and popped the ball up," Luther said. "To end her high school career with two homers in her last two at-bats is great. I am so happy for her."

Schmoll kept the Bruins in a scoreless game until the top of the fifth when Coral Springs Charter began to expose Bayshore's weaknesses on defense. The Panthers scored two runs in the inning on one hit, a two-run double. One of the runners got on base when a popup fell to the ground when the left fielder and shortstop collided.

"The left fielder ran into her because nobody called it, that is the youth and inexperience of our team," Luther said. "We should've been yelling. We have been getting around that, and it hadn't been biting us. You can't give a team like that five outs."

James got one back in the bottom of the fifth on a solo homer over the center field fence. Schmoll was intentionally walked and Muraskin struck out the next two batters.

Coral Springs Charter (26-3) got two runs in the sixth without hitting the ball out of the infield as Bayshore committed two throwing errors. The Panthers took advantage of two more errors by the Bruins in the seventh to add five runs.

"The pressure was a little bit too much for them today, but, like LaShara said, we were not ourselves today," Schmoll said. "You can't beat a good team like that with all those errors. I threw my pitches effectively. That team is pure travel ball. Those girls know how to play and how to hit. I expected to have the ball hit in play. I didn't expect that many strikeouts."

Schmoll was charged with four earned runs. She struck out 10, walked two and allowed nine hits. Muraskin allowed three hits and walked three.

"I thought Miriam pitched a better game than their pitcher, who pitched a great game," Luther said. "But we can't give them five outs an inning. It's tough to win, especially against a team like that."

James got on base twice with her two homers and Schmoll reached base on all three of her at-bats with a single and two intentional walks. The only other base runner for the Bruins was Madyson Ramirez, who walked in the first.

"It feels great to finish with those homers. I just hope that is what my first at-bat in college is like," said James, who has signed with USF. "I was really just trying to put the ball in play. I don't try to hit it over the fence. If it happens, it happens. On defense we were not ourselves today. There was a lot going on."

Alan Dell, Herald sports columnist/writer, can be reached at 941-745-7056. Follow him on Twitter @ADellSports

This story was originally published May 7, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Bayshore defense struggles in Class 5A state softball title game ."