Pace softball returning to state Final Four after fifth consecutive region title
There were questions entering the 2025 season about what Pace softball could do.
Fresh off a state championship over Bartow, the Patriots were without some of its household names – such as Jayden Heavener, Shelby McKenzie and Mallory Baker, among others – after graduating a stellar senior class that went to four consecutive Final Fours.
“I think some of them were upset with people saying, ‘We lost our studs the years before,'” Pace head coach Lexi Alexander said. “We still have some of those studs – and we got some more, obviously.”
The now-seniors took that personal. Six of the seven seniors that Pace currently boasts were part of the state-championship team a year ago.
After winning the District 1-6A championship game against Navarre earlier in the season, the Patriots had another message to prove. That they still belonged among the state’s best.
And they deserved a trip back to the Final Four for the fifth year in a row.
Now, following three consecutive shutouts – most recently a 4-0 win over Navarre, again, but this time in the Region 1-6A final – Pace is headed back to Central Florida on a mission.
To potentially defend its Class 6A crown.
“I feel like it’s carrying on a tradition. It means a lot, because we’re moving forward for them,” Lana Gonzales said. “I know they’re proud of us. Everyone is proud of us. But we’re carrying on a legacy.”
“A lot of people didn’t think that we could do it this year. But we’ve been telling them, ‘Don’t shoot for just districts. Play every game like it’s your last.’ These girls did these last three games. These girls don’t like losing. And, obviously, neither do I. They knew we could do it. I’m proud of them,” Alexander said. “The seniors last year – and, shoot, the last four years – all of those players who left have created such a high standard for this program. … The seniors last year – and, shoot, the last four years – all of those players who left have created such a high standard for this program.”
This trip through the postseason has been a lot different for Pace, Alexander noted. The past two years, the Patriots played Niceville, Oviedo and Hagerty in the region tournament, albeit in a different order both times.
Pace beat Fletcher, Oakleaf and Navarre in this year’s region tournament. It was also a little more uncommon for the Patriots to face a local team in the region final. A local foe usually only came to town in the quarterfinals or semifinals.
The region championship was the fourth time that Pace and Navarre battled throughout the season, as well.
“That’s just a testament to how well (Navarre) played. They had to travel twice, and ended up having to come right down the road to play us in the final,” Alexander said. “We’ve had to play them four times this year. Thankfully, we beat them all four times. But, they gave us a fight all four times, that’s for sure.”
“But we knew we could do it,” senior Abby McLean added.
It’s also a team that is different, as expected, from previous years. Gonzales noted the closeness of the team, creating a sisterhood among the players.
It’s been a healthy balance of veteran players and newcomers making an impact for the Patriots. Sophomore pitcher Hannah DeMarcus, who threw a one-hitter in the region championship, has a remarkable 393 strikeouts on the year with a 0.30 ERA (13 runs, 7 earned runs).
Offensively, Gonzales (.420) and McLean (.415) have the two-best batting average among starters, closely followed by sophomore Gracie Ueberroth (.385). McLean and Ueberroth have combined for 13 home runs on the year.
Britten Kettler and Kamryn Pierce, both juniors, have tallied four home runs apiece, as well.
“We hang out all the time. Before games, we have rituals. We all uplift each other,” Gonzales said. “Even this morning, we were up at 6:30 a.m., sending videos like, ‘It’s gameday!’ It’s definitely going to be hard to separate when the season is over.”
Even the coaching staff had a different approach this year. Alexander missed the first half of the season while on maternity leave, only attending games for that portion of the year. Assistant coaches took over.
And, clearly, the team didn’t miss a beat.
“That just shows the coaching staff I have behind me. Every coach has the ability to do whatever they want. There’s no direct role for anybody,” Alexander said. “We just work so well with each other. When I wasn’t there at practice, I knew the girls were fine and the coaches were fine.”
The trip also will end differently. The FHSAA made a change this season, with the state Final Four in Longwood at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park, just north of Orlando. It’s about 45 minutes northeast of Clermont, where the championships were the last few years.
But that doesn’t change what Pace is set out to do. It just allows the team to make more memories along the way.
“We get to make new memories while remembering old ones,” Gonzales said. “Sometimes it just pops up, ‘Oh, I remember when so-and-so did this.’”
“Just being with each other in general, we get to have a fun time,” McLean said. “It’ll be worth it when we get down there.”
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