Spanish River softball makes history with its first state title

Sharks shock Tampa Plant in Class 7A championship

CLERMONT, Fla. – The Spanish River Sharks swam upstream during the 2023 state softball playoffs, finishing a historic run with a first-ever state championship.

The Boca Raton team that entered the regional playoffs as the No. 7 seed out of Region 4, closed out the year with a dramatic 3-2 upset victory against Tampa Plant in the Class 7A state championship game on Saturday afternoon at Legends Way Ball Fields.

Spanish River (17-8-1) scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning to rally from a 2-1 deficit, and Giselle Portanova scattered six hits, while striking out five, to pick up the complete-game victory. Plant (27-5) had entered the game ranked No. 7 in the state, all classes, in the FHSAA Power Rankings.

Spanish River capped its thrilling run to the FHSAA 7A state softball championship with a 3-2 upset of top-ranked Plant in the state final

It was the Sharks’ second straight victory against a highly ranked team. Spanish River stunned No. 1-ranked Lake Brantley, 13-9, in a state semifinal on Friday.

“I don’t even know where to start,” said an elated Portanova. “Going into the game today, I was confident that we could be state champs. We really didn’t know much about Plant City going into the game, but we knew we would have to play hard to win it all.

“Our playoff run was unimaginable,” Portanova said. “Every single girl contributed in every single game. Even when we were down by one in the sixth (in the title game), we never gave up. We fought back and worked together as a team.”

Both schools scored in the fourth inning. Spanish River went up 1-0 in the top of the inning when Isabella Santos crushed a home run to right field off starter Addison Swink.

Plant City surged ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the inning. Abby Lucas and Gracie Ciccarello singled, and then Graci Quinlan singled in Lucas. Ciccarello then scored on a sacrifice fly.

Spanish River bats then came alive again in the sixth when Sophia Camacho singled, Santos doubled, Tamsin Scarrett singled in Camacho, and Marley Ruggiero scored on a sacrifice – all off reliever Cassidy Masters.

Portanova then pitched out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the bottom of the sixth and then retired the side in the seventh.

Lucas led Plant by going 2-for-3 with one run scored. For Spanish River, Santos went 2-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI; Scarrett, 2-for-3 with one RBI; and Camacho, 2-for-4 with one run scored.

“Plant City is a great team,” Portanova said. “And, I’m so proud of my team for making history.”