Prep softball | Lakewood Ranch's Logan Newton no-hits Manatee

LAKEWOOD RANCH -- Logan Newton uncorked a blazing pitch toward the strike zone for her final out.

The whiff was the same result as the first out she recorded.

It capped an eight strikeout performance through five innings.

But her work was over.

The Lakewood Ranch junior didn't need to go any more. She was unhittable for five innings, allowing just an unearned run as the Mustangs (21-4) avoided the upset bug that hit them a season ago en route to a 11-1 mercy-rule shortened victory over visiting Manatee in Tuesday's Class 8A-District 8 semifinal.

"We remembered the last few times we played them, they kind of all have the same swing going on so we just went from there," Newton said. "And then we saw how they were there (Tuesday). Saw them warm up, saw how their swings were and just kind of went after them."

Newton's battery mate, catcher Maddie Biggs, called the pitches.

Rise ball, drop ball, fastball.

Check, check and check.

They all found their mark time and time again, and when the game ended neither Lakewood Ranch head coach Maggie Feix or Newton realized a no-hitter was thrown.

Newton said she doesn't pay attention to when she has a no-hitter going.

That sublime focus, though, was geared toward how to get the Hurricanes, which feature University of Tennessee-bound Peyton Varela, out.

It was apparent during a roughly 20 minute break between the bottom of the second inning, where Lakewood Ranch plated eight runs, and the third inning when Newton returned to the circle.

"We talk about the upcoming batters," said Newton about talking things over with Biggs during the lengthy break. "What they're going to do, what they did last time and just try to keep ourselves in the game mentally as a defense as well as an offense."

Manatee (6-15) committed three errors in the second inning when Lakewood Ranch batted around its order to open the game wide open.

"You get your pitcher hitting her spots and then we don't make plays behind her," third-year Manatee head coach Dan Schaffer said. "That's tough."

Mustangs center fielder Kyra Klarkowski walloped an RBI triple and Kinsey Goelz smashed a two-run home run during the second-inning onslaught.

Then Newton shook off an unearned run in the fourth to retire the Hurricanes in order in the top of the fifth inning with two strikeouts to enact the mercy rule to complete the reversal from 2015 when Braden River upended the top-seeded Mustangs in the district semifinals.

"She's very competitive, and that's helpful as a pitcher to maintain that competitiveness throughout," Feix said.

Meanwhile, Lakewood Ranch also displayed a balanced offense that seven different players record hits.

And even though Biggs, who bats eighth in the lineup, didn't get a hit, she has home run power.

Those coupled with the pitching combination of Newton and Kailey Christian has the Mustangs, ranked eighth in the state for 8A, in prime position to make a postseason run.

"I think they should go a long way," Schaffer said. "I really do. They've got a good, disciplined ballclub. They can hit the ball. They've got power and they've also got speed and put the ball in play (and) make you make mistakes like we did (Tuesday)."

After Morgan Cummins (2-for-3, RBI), Madi LoCastro (2-for-2, double, two RBIs) and Christian (double) provided some extra offense to advance Lakewood Ranch, the Hurricanes season came to a close.

They depart five seniors, four of which were starters Tuesday.

"It's going to be to replace them," Schaffer said. "They were starters all their four years there at Manatee. It's going to be tough, but there's some good young talent at the JV level."

Jason Dill, sports reporter, can be reached at jdill@bradenton.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason__Dill and like his Facebook page at Jason Dill Bradenton Herald.

This story was originally published April 12, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Prep softball | Lakewood Ranch's Logan Newton no-hits Manatee ."