By Dave Brousseau - BCAA Writer

DAVIE – By no means was the result the comeback for the ages.

Western’s stunning four-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning proved to be enough as they defeated West Broward with a 5-4 victory in a Class 7A regional final at Western High.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Wildcats starting senior pitcher Ali Solo forced in the winning run when she was hit by a pitch on her right foot to score Katarina Kuma from third.

The stunning victory lifted the Wildcats (20-5-1) to the state semifinals as Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood on May 23.

Western is seeking to win its third state championship since winning the Class 9A title in 2018 and last year’s 7A title.

“We fight to the end,” Western coach John Bradshaw. “These girls have been in big games, and they never give up.  We preach that day in and day out.”

“A lot of hard work goes into this. Every time we step on the field, we have a chance to win,” he continued. “The opposing pitcher lost control towards the end, and I instructed Ali (Solo) to take advantage of this opportunity. It turned out and we’re going to state’s.”

Solo, who wasn’t having her best outing as the starting pitcher for Western, relished in the moment.

“This was probably one of the biggest moments for me,” said Solo. I wasn’t expecting her to hit me at all. She had been pitching great all night. Honestly, I was going to do anything for my team at that point. I had been struggling at the plate. Taking that pitch obviously got us somewhere.”

Up 2-1 entering the top of the sixth inning, the Bobcats added two more runs on an error, allowing Mady Remotigue and Cyara Geronimo to score increasing their lead to three runs.

West Broward (18-8) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning on a two-run double down the left-field line, with Victoria Carmona and Isabella Cruz scoring.

Western had managed a pair of meaningless hits through the first three-innings, before a bunt single by Gia Solano pushed Delaney Clair, who was running for Kennedy Butter, home from third.

“She gave it everything she got,” said West Broward coach Kyle Davis of his starting pitcher in sophomore Cheyanne Chaffin. “Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way. Having a 4-1 lead slip away in the last inning with an out is hard to swallow. We just fell short, and it hurts. It’s beyond words.”

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