Pitcher Miriam Schmoll lifts Bayshore softball back to district title

The last threat Sarasota Booker High School mounted against Bayshore in the Class 5A-District 11 championship came — and went — in the fifth inning.

A leadoff single followed by a walk unraveled with two fielder’s choices. Then Miriam Schmoll whipped a strikeout pitch past Emilee Kindred and leaped out of the circle, pumping her fist in celebration of the 11th of her 16 strikeouts in a 9-0 victory at Bayshore on Thursday.

Schmoll’s presence was the reason coach Frank Luther was able to set lofty expectations for an unproven roster that lost its two top hitters from a year ago to graduation.

“Coach Frank told us from the very beginning, ‘Our first goal is to be undefeated in districts,’” said utility infielder Madyson Ramirez, one of four seniors who helped Bayshore reach the Class 5A championship in 2016. “Our goal is to become regional champs, as well.”

Schmoll held Booker (13-9) to two hits in seven shutout innings. She struck out the side three times and at one point had eight consecutive outs come by way of strikeouts. With three strikeouts to start the game, she had struck out 10 consecutive batters across two games.

Schmoll has already played in two region tournaments for Bayshore — she missed 2015 with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Both times, the Bruins made it to at least the state semifinals.

“Three runs, I’m feeling good. Five runs, I’m comfortable,” Luther said. “I don’t think anybody’s going to come and have enough hitters in a row to score runs, so if we don’t make errors and if we just put up at least 3-5 runs we have a good chance of winning.”

Her contribution has been more important than ever this season. Four of the nine starters for Bayshore (14-4) on Thursday weren’t on the team in 2016, including the bottom three hitters. The Bruins have ditched the free-swinging approach they used to win district titles in two of the four previous years in favor a small-ball-oriented offense.

The bulk of the offense still comes from experienced core at the top of the order, but the bottom three hitters combined to score three runs and drive in another against the Tornadoes. Senior Jasmine Youngthunder, the No. 7 hitter, went 3 for 4 with a bunt single, an RBI and a run scored. Junior Briana Mays, the No. 8 hitter, walked once and scored a run. Freshman Aubrey Miller, the No. 9 hitter, bunted all three times she came up, hitting safely twice and scoring once.

With this at-times makeshift offense and a dominant ace, Bayshore is back in to the Class 5A-Region 3 tournament and will play host to Englewood Lemon Bay in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

“It feels a whole lot different,” Luther said. “The beginning of the season looking to it we really didn’t expect it. We didn’t know what to expect with the talent that we have. It’s an honest thing. We have a whole bunch of girls that don’t play.

“To be able to accomplish this and to play and to have the season that we’ve had so far, it’s refreshing.”

This story was originally published April 27, 2017 at 10:41 PM with the headline "Pitcher Miriam Schmoll lifts Bayshore softball back to district title."