- June 21, 2025
The Matanzas softball team’s greatest season in school history ended Thursday night, May 15, with a heart wrenching 1-0 loss at Niceville in the Region 1-5A final.
“It was a tough loss, a really sad night,” said Matanzas coach Sabrina Manhart.
The Pirates finished their season with a 23-2 record after advancing to the regional final for the first time. The loss ended their 15-game winning streak.
Ranked No. 2 in Class 5A, Matanzas fell to the No. 1 team in yet another pitching duel. The Pirates scored three runs in their three playoff games and allowed just two.
University of Florida signee Leah Stevens pitched her second no-hitter in three games for Matanzas, but Niceville (21-6) scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning on a throwing error. The Eagles advance to the state semifinals on May 22 in Longwood.
“Our girls definitely had an amazing year,” Manhart said. “They’ve done something that no other team at Matanzas has done. They have a lot to hold their heads up high about.”
Stevens pitched six innings and allowed no hits and two walks. One of the walks was intentional. She struck out nine batters. Niceville sophomore Chloe Bailey was just as good in the pitching circle allowing two hits on no walks over seven innings. Bailey struck out 13.
Stevens had a perfect game through five innings. She walked her first batter — No. 8 hitter Emma Sites — with one out in the sixth on a 3-2 count. Sites went to second on a passed ball. With two outs, the Pirates intentionally walked Briana Noles, the Eagles’ best hitter.
Stevens threw a two-strike changeup to Niceville’s next batter, a pitch that the Pirates thought was strike three and the end of the inning, but it was called a ball. With Sites and Noles running on the pitch, freshman catcher Mary Grace Seward threw to third to try to get the lead runner. The ball got past shortstop Juliet Fogel, who relayed to her sister, third baseman Ruby Fogel, who tagged out Noles. But by that time, Sites had scored the go-ahead run.
Bailey closed out Niceville’s win in the seventh. Manhart said she believes the game was a battle between the two best pitchers and the two best teams in Class 5A.
That was a state championship game, We were the No. 1 and 2 ranked teams and we had to play the regional final at their place. But our girls weren’t fazed by that.
— SABRINA MANHART, Matanzas softball coach
“That was a state championship game,” she said. “We were the No. 1 and 2 ranked teams and we had to play the regional final at their place. But our girls weren’t fazed by that. I’m proud of the way they travel.”
The Pirates are graduating just three seniors in Stevens, Juliet Fogel and Ashley Sampselle, so they will have an experienced core coming back next season, including rising senior leaders Mckenzie Manhart, Ruby Fogel and Addison Rio and three sophomores-to-be in catcher Seward, outfielder Camryn Williams and pitcher Trinity Wright, who all got the chance to contribute as freshmen.
“Mary Grace can say she caught the best pitcher in Florida and she handled that extremely well with literally the Grace that’s in her name,” Manhart said. “Camryn Williams is going to be huge leader for us in the future.”
Wright, meanwhile, will likely take over the role of lead pitcher next year from Stevens, who will join the Gators after completing a high school career with out-of-this-world numbers. She finished this season with a 17-1 record, a 0.32 earned run average and 249 strikeouts in 108.2 innings pitched.
Stevens pitched three seasons — she did not pitch her sophomore year because she was on blood thinners to dissolve a blood clot. She finished her high school career with a 0.88 ERA and a 33-10 record. She allowed 82 hits and 67 walks and struck out 574 batters in 253.2 innings pitched.
“At Florida, she is going to have so many resources at her fingertips,” Manhart said. “We’re going to be blown away with how much she’s going to improve in the next few years. She has so much potential that she hasn’t even tapped into yet.”
As for the Pirates next year, Manhart expects to have another squad that will compete in the playoffs.
“I’ve never coached a team like this one, that loved each other so much and worked so hard for each other,” she said. “But we’re pretty fortunate. Our culture is in place. We’re going to continue to thrive.”
