3 days ago
Western's Solo, Aquinas' Brunette are Broward 7A-5A Softball Pitcher, Player of the Year
Ali Solo was part of a revival of the softball program at Western High.
Victoria Brunette was part of a similar build at St. Thomas Aquinas.
Both seniors leave winning legacies behind as they move on to the collegiate level this fall.
And both are this year's Miami Herald's Broward County softball Players of the Year for Classes 7A-5A.
Solo, who will pitch this fall for Florida Southwestern University in Fort Myers, is the 7A-5A Pitcher of the Year after another stellar season in the circle for the Wildcats.
She went 18-4 with 175 strikeouts in 153 innings and compiled a 2.10 ERA. She also hit four home runs and three doubles and had 17 RBI.
Solo was pivotal for a Western team, which struggled a bit this season, but persevered to get back to the Class 7A state final four.
Unfortunately for Solo, the Wildcats were unable to repeat as state champions after losing to Oviedo Hagerty in the state semifinals.
'It didn't finish the way we hoped, but it was a great season,' Solo said. 'I broke the strikeout record for the school and was named Female Athlete of the year at the school. I feel like I accomplished a lot during my high school career.'
Hard to argue that after Solo led Western to a state title in 2024 and three trips to the state final four overall.
'Winning a state championship showed the underclassmen it's possible and they're in a great place to get there again,' Solo said. 'It helped that we won and it set a goal for every season. Never give up. A lot of people doubted us as a whole and we've grown and shown anything's possible.'
Brunette helped a once-proud Aquinas program back to prominence as the Raiders made it to the state semifinals in Class 5A. It was the Raiders' first advancement to state since 2017 after winning four state titles overall.
Brunette's steady glove at third base and production at the plate with three home runs, 20 runs scored and 22 RBI were instrumental in Aquinas' surge this season.
Brunette's strong career earned her a scholarship to continue to play softball at Jacksonville University.
'In the beginning of the season, we were rocky, but by districts and regionals we came together and things started going great,' Brunette said. 'All-around I feel like my game got better. We have a lot of younger girls on the team so it was good to show them what it was like to get to state.'
