For shortstop Alondra Maldonado, the only senior on Winter Springs’ surprisingly successful fastpitch softball team, extra innings could have wrecked her graduation night plans on Thursday.

But Adison Pierce, a junior teammate, ripped a walk-off double off the right-field fence to give the Bears a 5-4 state semifinal victory over North Fort Myers and provide Maldonado a chance to be on time for commencement ceremonies scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at UCF’s Addition Financial Arena.

Pierce’s clutch hit, with one out and two runners on base, scored sophomore Kaelyn Mandigo from second base to end a game played just 3½ miles from the Winter Springs campus.

Winter Springs’ Kaelyn Mandigo (2) celebrates after crossing home plate for the game-winning score in the bottom of the seventh inning of a semifinal game against North Fort Myers during the FHSAA State Softball Championships, Thursday in Longwood. (Phelan M. Ebenhack for the Orlando Sentinel)

“It feels great just for my team and to get us to the championship game,” Pierce said of her first-ever walk-off swing.

Shortly after that ended the game at close to 6 p.m., the Winter Springs team gathered for a quick postgame huddle to hear coaches praise their determination and clutch performances. Maldonado then literally ran into the dugout to grab her gear and hustle out of the Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood on her way to getting changed and ready to cross the stage. Right behind her were several other players who also wanted to make the grad festivities in support of family members or friends.

The next big celebration for Maldonado, Pierce and the rest of the Winter Springs team could come Saturday when the Bears (23-8) play for the FHSAA Class 5A state championship game against No. 1 ranked Niceville (22-6), which won its semifinal 7-2 against St. Thomas Aquinas (16-13) of Fort Lauderdale. Game time is 11 a.m. at the Boombah softball complex.

Pierce’s clutch hit, with one out and two runners on base, scored sophomore Bubbie Mandigo from second base to end the game.

“It feels great just for my team and to get us to the championship game,” Pierce said of her first-ever walk-off swing.

Shortly after that ended the game at close to 6 p.m. the Winter Springs team gathered for a quick postgame huddle to hear coaches praise their determination and clutch performances. Maldonado then literally ran into the dugout to grab her gear and hustle out of the Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park softball complex in Longwood on her way to getting changed and ready to cross the stage. Right behind her were several other players who also wanted to make the grad festivities in support of family members or friends.

Winter Springs senior shortstop Alondra Maldonado, left, tags out North Fort Myers’ Mia Pecore (9) in a sixth-inning run-down play that snuffed out a chance for the Red Knights to score. (Phelan M. Ebenhack for the Orlando Sentinel)

The next big celebration for Maldonado, Pierce and the rest of the Winter Springs team could come Saturday when the Bears (23-8) play for the FHSAA Class 5A state championship game against No. 1 ranked Niceville (22-6), which won its semifinal 7-2 against St. Thomas Aquinas (16-13) of Fort Lauderdale.

Pictures: Winter Springs comes out on top in semifinal game against North Fort Myers

The Bears, 15-14 last season with an 8-2 region quarterfinal loss at Niceville, will be underdogs. But that’s nothing new for a squad that owes all eight of its losses to teams in the top 10 of their classification in this year’s final FHSAA power rankings.

“I really felt that (schedule) prepared us for this,” said fifth-year Winter Springs coach Farrah Gordon,  who was the 2014 American Athletic Conference player of the year as a UCF college standout. “We had some tough losses, but I do think that made us stronger.”

The Bears have won 11 of their past 12 games.

Pierce, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, singled to centerfield to bring Bears catcher Lauren Daugherty home in the second inning for the game’s first score. Daugherty, who was 2-for-4, opened that frame with a double to right-center and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by junior outfielder Lilly Clark.

Winter Springs upped its lead to 3-0 in the third after Maldonado singled with one out, and winning pitcher Tiffany Seemann singled behind her. A North Fort Myers throwing error scored courtesy runner Bella Reed and Clark knocked in another run with a bloop single.

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North Fort Myers (20-8) pulled even after its senior catcher, Mia Lane, crushed a three-run home run with no outs in the top of the fourth inning. Seeman, who has pitched all 28 innings in Winter Springs’ past four postseason victories, doused the fire with three consecutive outs.

Winter springs regained a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Abigail Hooper singled to score Summer Mason.

Another NFM home run, a solo shot by Red Knights senior Abby Hynes with one out in the fifth, tied the game 4-4.

Seemann, a sophomore, again shook off the roundtripper and got two fly outs to end the inning. She started the game with nine consecutive outs and finished it by sitting down eight of NFM’s final nine batters.

“I felt pressure,” Seemann said. “My team had my back.”

She allowed just 5 hits.

Daugherty started the Winter Springs’ winning rally by beating out an infield single with one out in the seventh. Clark grounded a ball back to NFM pitcher Kaliyah Williams, who looked to first but then decided to throw to second base on a fielder’s choice play. Mandigo, a courtesy runner, beat the throw to put runners at first and second. That set up Pierce, batting in the No. 8 slot, to slash the game-winner.

Eustis falls

One year after experiencing the sweet taste of victory with the Class 4A state championship, Eustis tasted the other flavor in Thursday’s 3A state final in Longwood.

The bitter flavor of defeat.

The Panthers suffered a 12-2 mercy rule loss to 3A No. 1 Somerset Academy (24-2) of Miami.

A day after pitching the Panthers (23-5) into the state final, Eustis junior Carson Roden was unable to replicate the same magic. She gave up 12 hits and 7 walks in the game, and surrendered six runs in the fifth and final inning.

Tyra Bowers, a former Eustis player in her first year as head coach, said the loss ended a season that had its ups and downs.

“It was a growing season for everybody, from me to the girls,” Bowers said. “We had to come together after coming unglued in the middle of the season. We had to sit down, talk, and try to figure it out, then came back together and chose to trust the process.”

Adrianna Covino, a junior centerfielder, and Brooklyn Powheda, a sophomore rightfielder, had RBI hits in the final inning for Eustis.’

Eustis won state championships in 2021 and last season.

“They’re ready to work right now,” Bowers said. “They asked, ‘When are we starting back?’. We’ll be back.”

By Chris Martucci

Eustis advances to FHSAA Class 3A softball championship with revenge win

Varsity Content Editor Buddy Collings can be reached by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com. 

Originally Published: May 22, 2025 at 11:00 PM EDT