OKLAHOMA CITY — Head coach T.J. Goelz was looking for his Lakewood Ranch softball team's defense to produce one more out against Lake Brantley to end the 7A state championship game on May 28.
His Mustangs led the Patriots, 8-2, and already produced two outs in the top of the seventh inning. However, Lake Brantley refused to lay down. They had two runners on base, with speedy freshman Jaiden Griffith on second base.
Even with a six-run lead, Goelz knew this game was not over until it was over. After all, the Patriots were the team responsible for the Mustangs' lone two losses of the 2022 season. With one more out, vengeance and a second-consecutive state championship would belong to Lakewood Ranch.
Over walked assistant coach Paulo Reis with an idea. He shared it with Goelz who responds with, "let me watch a couple pitches."
After two pitches, Goelz looked back at Reis.
"I told him, 'oh yeah, that's going to work,'" Goelz said.
He gave the signal to the defense, knowing Reis's idea is a guaranteed success.
Mustangs pitcher Ella Dodge wound up and tossed a fastball to catcher Grace Hogie, who then quickly threw the ball back to her pitcher. Dodge immediately turned and faked a throw to shortstop Addyson Bruneman, whose acting skills were the most important part of this trick play. Bruneman pretended to have let the ball roll past her at second base and into the outfield. In reality, the ball was hiding at Dodge's hip.
Believing the Mustangs made a mistake, the speedy Griffith sprinted towards third base. However, Dodge was already giving chase and tagged her for the final out of the game.
The Mustangs threw their hats and gloves in the air in jubilation. They were state champions for the second straight year.
"The girls will remember the state championship forever, but doing it that way was even more special," Goelz said.
Goelz embraces his wife, Liz, knowing they had a risky play to run over the next several hours.
They had a flight the next morning to Blacksburg, Virginia to watch daughters Avery and Kinsey in Florida's winner-take-all super regional game against Virginia Tech.
"It was hard to calm down," Liz said. "It's like, I know I have to get to sleep, but it was really like three hours...it was a nap. You hit the pillow and the alarm clock was going off."
With only a few hours of rest, T.J. and Liz made their flight and arrived to Tech Softball Park in time for the first pitch.
In the second inning, Avery gave her parents, and the Gators, an energy boost with an RBI double to give Florida a 2-0 lead.
“That was the catalyst, that’s what got them going,” T.J. said.
Behind three total RBI by Avery, the Gators beat Virginia Tech, 12-0, to advance to the College World Series.
After the win, the family took a celebratory selfie on the field.
“[It was] a really chill bump feeling when you’re up there in the stands, watching your girl—and then the team—just getting hot at the right time,” Liz said. “And then to go celebrate with them on someone else’s field…that was pretty awesome.”
Although the weekend was nearly perfect, T.J. and Liz want to see their daughters finish what they started by leading the Gators to a national championship.
“They’re good young ladies…and they love this game of softball. Fortunately, the game of softball is loving them back,” T.J. said.
The Gators continue world series play on Saturday against Oklahoma State.
