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Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Berent, Bertorelli, Wahlbrink are the 4A-1A Broward Softball Players of the Year
A dominant pitcher has always been the biggest building block for a successful softball team. Coral Springs Charter had two this season in senior Sophia Bertorelli and sophomore Courtney Wahlbrink. And over at Cardinal Gibbons, junior Lydia Berent is becoming one of the most dominant pitchers and players overall in recent memory in Broward County, which earned her a scholarship offer at one of the country's most prestigious programs. After dominant performances once again this past season, Bertorelli and Wahlbrink are this year's Broward Co-Pitchers of the Year for Classes 4A-1A. And Berent is the Class 4A-1A Player of the Year. Berent could have been named either award winner after going 20-6 this season, striking out a county-high 243 batters, and compiling a 1.11 ERA. She also hit .500 with three home runs, 11 doubles and scored 39 runs. Her efforts led Gibbons to its first 20-win season in over two decades, and she has been the centerpiece in the Chiefs' emergence as one of the county's best teams over the past three seasons. 'I just matured a whole lot mentally and physically from last year, and really learned how to lead,' Berent said. 'We had a young team so it was important to have some of us with extra experience. It's just trusting the amount of time I work and preparation I put in. We've never been as good as we are right now.' Berent said she chose to attend Gibbons as her older brother did for academics as well as softball. She has attracted the interest of multiple Division-I schools over the past couple of years. But when Stanford University came calling, Berent jumped at the chance and committed during a visit last winter. Berent has one more season to try to lead Gibbons to a state title. But after that, she hopes to study something in the engineering field while following in the footsteps of other South Florida softball greats such as former Southwest Miami star Missy Penna. 'I knew in my heart that's where I belong,' Berent said. 'It's an amazing program and a chance for an amazing education.' Bertorelli is also heading to a college with a strong combination of academics and athletics this fall as she will pitch at Boston College. She heads there after a resilient return from a shoulder injury her junior year. This season, Bertorelli went 11-2 with 122 strikeouts and a 1.23 ERA in 74 innings. Bertorelli said she worked on keeping her pitching mechanics consistent to avoid any further injury and felt like herself in the circle by midseason. Bertorelli credited having Wahlbrink's support both on and off the field as a key reason for her success this season. 'It was difficult to come back, but having Courtney and our coaches supporting me helped,' Bertorelli said. 'I felt like I didn't have all the pressure on my shoulders.' Meanwhile, Wahlbrink complemented her perfectly in the circle for Coral Springs Charter as she went 13-1 with 117 strikeouts and a 1.02 ERA in 75 1/3 innings. Bertorelli's presence on the team again was a boost for Wahlbrink as well as she improved as a hitter, going .389 with 19 RBI. The two led the Panthers back to the Class 3A regional finals and kept Coral Springs Charter as one of the most dominant teams in the state. 'I was able to focus more on the hitting side and I think I was able to drive balls better to the opposite field than I did before,' Wahlbrink said. 'Me and Soph are really close and she's been like a role model to me forever. We both help each other on and off the field. 'The adversity she's faced and coming back from injury is tough. She came back with a strong mentality and became an even stronger pitcher.'
Miami Herald
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Coral Springs Charter rolls to another BCAA Big 8 softball championship
Championship teams continuously find ways to win when it counts most. The Coral Springs Charter High softball team apparently owns the blueprint when it comes to the BCAA Big 8 tournament. Led by Heather Roberston, Gio Gurgel and Courtney Wahlbrink, who combined for six RBI, the Panthers rolled to a 9-4 victory over Western on Wednesday for the team's third consecutive Big 8 title at Pompano Beach Community Park. It was the Panthers (19-3) fifth Big 8 title in seven attempts. '[Western] is a seasoned team and three games in a row is tough on pitching staffs,' Coral Springs Charter coach Mark Montimurro said. 'They have a lot of good hitters, and we felt they would put a lot of balls in play. They put some runs on the board, but we did enough to come out with trophy.' Charter has defeated Western seven consecutive times by a combined score of 62-11 since 2019. They finished the tournament, by outscoring their three opponents 26-7. 'Our team has moxie and grit and everybody in the county thought we'd be way down because we lost a lot of players,' Montimurro said. 'They stepped up and played up to their level. With our pitching we can play with anybody.' Charter took an early 5-0 lead keyed by Roberston's fourth home run in five at bats. She was named the tournament MVP with her four homers and 10 RBI. 'I honestly wasn't expecting it,' Robertson said. 'I was looking for some hits and putting pieces together for the team. I wasn't expecting the home runs. I was just swinging to swing. Today I came out hot and was ready to play hitting a home run in my first at bat.' The Wildcats didn't cave, rallying for four runs between the third and fifth innings, closing to within 5-4. Analie Diaz, Kennedy Butter and Emma Konieczny had consecutive RBI singles in the top the third inning and Butter added another RBI singles in the fifth inning. 'It's frustrating, but there's a silver lining and that's that we fought to the end,' Western coach John Bradshaw said. 'I was super proud of the girls fighting to the end. Mark's teams never quit and he's got us three years in a row.' The Panthers seized the Wildcats (15-5-1) comeback bid in the bottom of the sixth inning. Addi Michel had an RBI bunt single, which was followed by an RBI single to left field by Gurgel and a two-RBI double to left by Wahlbrink a five-run advantage. 'We can up too flat, but we did bring it up throughout the game,' Gurgel said. 'When our pitching and hitting come up big, we win.' District play begins next week with Coral Springs Charter and Western as No. 1 seeds.
Miami Herald
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Poll: Who should be the Miami Herald's High School Athlete of the Week? (March 17)
South Florida's top athletes were recognized recently in the sports of basketball and wrestling. This week, we continue a feature where we ask you to vote for the best performer of the week from flag football, lacrosse, softball, volleyball and water polo in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Take our poll below to cast your vote. The poll will be open until Thursday, March 20, around 10 p.m. You may vote as often as you like until then. Here are the candidates: NOTE: You should see a Miami Herald box underneath this note for you to type Yes and click Submit. That will ignite the actual poll to vote. Sophia Bertorelli, Coral Springs Charter softball: the senior pitcher not only recorded the win against Miami Coral Reef, 1-0, but she also scored the winning run. She tossed 5 innings of shutout ball, while allowing 1 hit and 0 walks and striking out 11. In a 6-1 win against Parkland Stoneman Douglas, she whirled 3 shutout innings, allowing 1 hit and 3 walks and striking out 6. Penelope Galvin, Miami Ransom Everglades flag football: the freshman quarterback was 18-of-24 passing for 198 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 INTs in a 33-0 win over Everglades Prep. She also ran the ball 5 times for 33 yards and a score, and on defense as free safety, she intercepted 1 pass and pulled 2 flags. Yeison Gonzalez, Miami Doral Reagan volleyball: the senior had 9 kills, 8 digs, 27 serve received, 2 aces in a win over Miami Belen Jesuit; 15 kills, 10 digs, 23 serve received, 2 blocks in a win over Miami Sunset; and 7 kills, 4 digs, 10 serve received in a win over Greater Miami Academy. Scotty Gould, Miami Palmetto lacrosse: the senior captain earned Player of the Game honors as the Panthers defeated NSU University School 10-5. Within his solid defense, he scooped 7 ground balls and forced 2 turnovers. Daniel Rubi, Miami Columbus volleyball: the junior had 11 kills, 10 digs in a win over Miami Southwest; 15 kills, 8 digs in a win over Miami Braddock; and 7 kills, 3 aces, 7 digs in a win over Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas. Kathleen Serig, Miami Gulliver Prep water polo: the senior totaled 18 goals, 12 assists, 11 steals, and 5 earned exclusions as the Raiders won the 9th annual Forza Stefano Tournament in Pembroke Pines. In the championship win against West Orange, she led with 4 goals, 2 assists, 3 earned exclusions, and 3 steals, and in a quarterfinal win against St. Thomas Aquinas, she led with 7 goals, 5 assists and 6 steals.
Miami Herald
17-02-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
A year after ending county's softball state title drought, Western looks to run it back
It had been five years since a Broward County softball team had won a state championship. It had been six years since Western High School in Davie had brought one home. On the final day of last year's state tournament week in Clermont, the Wildcats closed the 2024 season as the last team holding a state championship trophy. On Monday, the Wildcats officially began their attempt to run it back. Western is coming off a 27-4-1 season, which it capped with a 2-0 victory over Sanford Seminole to win the school's second-ever state title. The Wildcats are confident heading into the season since 10 of their regular players from that title run have returned. Before Western's title-clinching win, it beat Lake Worth Park Vista and Jupiter, each by the score of 4-3 in extra innings. Senior pitcher Ali Solo was in the circle for those triumphs and will once again spearhead the Wildcats' pitching staff this season. The Miami Herald's 7A-5A Pitcher of the Year in Broward last season, Solo went 17-4-1 with 180 strikeouts and a 1.26 ERA and hit .308 at the plate. Western's lineup and infield return virtually intact. Junior Brooke Bacaris is joined by senior Danae Falquez, who hit five home runs last season, in the middle infield. Junior first baseman Analie Diaz, a transfer from American Heritage, should add consistent offense following a three-home run, 27-RBI season. Senior Kennedy Butter will be behind the plate again and look to provide offense while working with Solo to keep opposing hitters in check. The spot where Western took a bit of a hit is in the outfield where Arlette Caravaca and Alana Cypress graduated. Junior Madison Mejia is back, however, and will try to make up for their absence. MORE OUTLOOKS ▪ Coral Springs Charter (26-4, 3A regional finalist) enters the season hoping to have a similar return to the top like Western as the Panthers are chasing their first state title since winning five in a row from 2015-2019. Coral Springs Charter enters the season ranked No. 34 by MaxPreps and with one of its more balanced rosters in recent years, which will be led by two of the state's best in the pitching circle. Sophomore Courtney Wahlbrink is back after a stellar season in which she was named the Miami Herald's 4A-1A Pitcher of the Year. Add to the mix, senior pitcher Sophia Bertorelli, a Boston College commit who is back after missing all of last season due to injury, and the Panthers might have one of the most formidable 1-2 punches in the state. Junior catcher/infielder Gio Gurgel adds pop to the lineup, along with senior catcher/infielder Heather Robertson, a Florida Gulf Coast signee, and senior infielder Addison Michel, a Boston University signee. Sophomore infielder Cam Thiele is another consistent source of offense, and senior Mia Rodriuguez, a Barry University signee, leads their outfield. ▪ St. Thomas Aquinas (17-10-2, 6A regional finalist) moves down to Class 5A and away from powerhouse Doral Academy, which ended its season in 2024. The Raiders are loaded for a potential run to state with several starters returning including junior and All-Broward first team pitcher Taylor Goad, and senior infielder and Miami Herald Player of the Year Christina D'Agostino. The latter hit a county-best 13 home runs last season and returns to power Aquinas' lineup along with junior outfielder Brianna Sims, senior infielder Victoria Brunette and junior outfielder Jessica Sacca, a transfer from Coral Springs Charter. ▪ Cardinal Gibbons (17-6, 3A regional semifinalist) will look to take the next step in its push for a berth at state led by junior pitcher Lydia Berent, a Stanford University commit. The key will be a young lineup backing her up, which is led by freshmen Skylar Flack (catcher), Dakota Williams (utility) and Sloane Schaefer (outfielder) and sophomore infielder Morgan Beavers. ▪ American Heritage (18-11) lost some key starters, but still returns a strong group led by junior infielder Bria Villano. Junior Emma Griffith and freshman Mia West join Villano in what will still be a talented Patriots' infield. ▪ Archbishop McCarthy (16-6, 5A state semifinalist) is coming off its first ever trip to the state final four and returns senior pitcher Sienna Garcia and junior outfielder Izabel Baron. The Mavericks move down to 4A and will battle American Heritage in the region. ▪ Pembroke Pines Charter (7-19, 5A regional finalist) returns senior catcher and South Carolina State commit Ariana Bonilla and will once again be led in the pitching circle by sophomore Destiney Ortega. A strong incoming freshman class will try to help the Jaguars navigate through another tough schedule. ▪ West Broward (15-9, 7A regional quarterfinalist) lost some key players, but returns senior infielder Cyara Geronimo and senior outfielder Ava DiFato. They will be joined by sophomore infielder Victoria Carmona, a transfer from Somerset Academy. ▪ Westminster Academy (19-9, 2A regional semifinalist) moves down to Class 1A and should be one of the main contenders to advance to the state final four this season. Versatile senior shortstop Dianna Montidoro leads the Lions once again and is joined by seniors Ava Salvino and Savanna Lee. Salvino tops the pitching staff, and can provide power as she had six home runs last season. ▪ Somerset Academy (11-13, 4A regional semifinalist) returns a strong core it hopes will lead to a deeper playoff push. Junior pitcher Caitlyn Diaz, a Samford commit, and junior center fielder Katie Bailey lead the group. Coach Angel Torres believes the pitching staff is deeper than ever and could be the difference against Broward's traditional powerhouses. ▪ Cooper City (9-15, 6A regional semifinalist) returns only four players and will lean on some talented, but inexperienced leaders to return to prominence. Sophomore second baseman/shortstop Rylee Hedden is a potential breakout player and the Cowboys will likely lean on senior second baseman/outfielder/catcher Jenavive Quinones for leadership. ▪ Nova (7-11 last year) will be led by freshman middle infielder/outfielder Aniya Williams, junior pitcher/outfielder Dasia Davis and sophomore middle infielder/outfielder Jada Corbin. ▪ Pine Crest (5-10) will be led by senior first baseman Sam Burke.
