Largo Girls Softball Team Put Up a Fight But Lost to Pinellas Park, 12-3

The  girls softball team had a tough season. Inexperienced players and mistake-proned performances helped contribute to its 2-14 record.

Those factors came into play again one last time on Wednesday night, as the Packers fell, 12-3, in the 5A District 12 semifinal game against .

The powerful Patriots lineup amassed 14 hits and were given numerous other base runners, thanks to a half dozen Packer errors.

Although Largo was able to score three times in the fourth inning against Patriots starter McKenzie Campbell to trim the deficit to 10-3, the offense was unable to muster any consistent threat with just nine base runners all night.

Despite all the tribulations, Largo coach Shelley Annable is proud of the way her team battled through adversity right until the end.

“Huge effort. I told them it was probably the proudest I’ve been…in my 23 years of coaching,” an emotional Annable said following the loss. “They played their hearts out.”

On the other side of the field, Pinellas Park players were happy to advance to the district final, but did so with a heavy heart; a good friend of Patriots pitcher Serena Mitchell was killed in a car crash this week.

Mitchell took the mound in relief of Campbell in the fifth inning and proceeded to plow through the Packers lineup. The sophomore allowed three hits and no runs in three innings while striking out three and walking no one.

“It was hard. I was just trying to stay focused on the game and (thinking) that he was watching over me,” a teary Mitchell said after the game.

Patriots coach Shane DeMartino was impressed with how Mitchell performed under such trying circumstances.

“My question to her was, ‘Are you ready to do this tonight? ‘and she said ‘Yeah, I got it.’ And she went out and did a great job. She was in a zone,” DeMartino said.

Pinellas Park (17-8) will host Northeast on Friday night in the district final.

If the Patriots win, they will host a regional playoff game on Monday night. A loss would send the Patriots on the road to open the regionals.