Roundup of Southwest Florida softball playoff games for Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
Class 5A-Region 3 semifinals
Gulf Coast 8, North Fort Myers 0: Brian Hodgson knew coming into this season that his Gulf Coast team had the potential to be special. A young team, consisting of nine freshmen and sophomores, had to believe in their ability to play.
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Don’t look now, but it looks like the Sharks are starting to do that.
Gulf Coast (19-8) put together its best game of the season, beating top-seeded North Fort Myers 8-0 at Bobbie Dewey Field to earn its first trip to the state finals since former FGCU softball coach Dave Deiros guided the Sharks there in 2001.
“That’s great; you’re a legend to be able to follow that name, wow, that’s great,” Hodgson said.
Gulf Coast jumped on the Red Knights (22-4) in the top of the first inning, scoring two runs on an RBI double by Keyah Kamara and a groundout by senior catcher Emma Caetano.
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“We told them to put in a crooked number in the first half,” said Hodgson. “Obviously it’s a full team over there, very well trained, with a lot of talent. We had to go into their house and make it known that we came to play.”
The early scoring spree helped Kamara’s need to finish on the mound, but the freshman pitched a near-spotless outing. Against a North team averaging more than nine runs per game, he allowed just two hits and three walks while striking out 16 batters.
“I have to remind myself that he’s only 14,” Hodgson said of Kamara. “You’re still learning these big moments, but you’re learning fast.”
Kamara, who added three hits and two runs scored, got more than enough support from the rest of the Gulf Coast team, which combined for 11 hits, four of which were extra-base hits. Caetano went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI while senior outfielder Nelinka Lambcke had two hits, including a double, and two runs scored. Sophomore first baseman Kadi Hodgson also went 2-for-3 with an RBI double.
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If the Sharks can put together that type of offensive game and Kamara’s ability on the mound, Gulf Coast will be tough on any Class 5A opponent that remains.
“We knew at the beginning of the season, who they were, the team that played tonight,” said Hodgson. “Now that they believe it, it’s just special.”
The Sharks will visit No. 2 seed Braden River (22-3) on Thursday with the winner advancing to the Class 5A state semifinals.
— Dan DeLuca
Braden River 4, Fort Myers 3: Freshman Cady Jones’ game-winning, two-run double was the exclamation point, making him the hero of Braden River’s game over Fort Myers.
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The second-seeded Pirates eventually came from behind to defeat the No. 6 Green Wave 4-3 in the regional semifinals on Tuesday, May 12. The Pirates will face No. 5 Gulf Coast, which defeated North Fort Myers 8-0.
“This team never quit,” said Braden River coach Keith Jans, whose team improved to 22-3. “It doesn’t matter what the inning is or what the inning is, they don’t give up. This team is amazing and they keep fighting for each other. I’m proud of them right now.”
“This was a great team with a great culture,” said Fort Myers coach Dan Mills, whose team finished 15-11. “I love this team, and we’re sad we can’t spend more time together. It starts with building a habit, making sure to write things down correctly and then get back to work. This was a special team, and it’s sad that the journey ended today.”
For the first four innings, the game was a toss-up between Pirates senior single Kaydence Evans and Green Wave sophomore Lolly Lane. The pitchers combined for six strikeouts (four from Lane) and five hits (four from Fort Myers).
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The Green Wave got on the scoreboard first in the fifth inning. After senior Faith Fazzone reached on Kate Coakley’s one-out error, junior Amira Peterson blasted a three-run homer for her seventh of the season, putting Fort Myers up 3-0.
After being held scoreless in the bottom of the fifth, Braden River began their rally in the bottom of the sixth, starting with the lead off of junior Leighton Paul and freshman Cooper Jones. After freshman Evelyn Paul reached first on a fielder’s choice to move Leighton to third, freshman Sarai Castro reached first on a fielding error, allowing Leighton to score the Pirates’ first run. Evans then cut the deficit to 3-2 after hitting an RBI double to bring in Evelyn before freshman Ansley Schneider came in with a pinch runner.
After freshman Eva Martinez was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Mills struck out Lane and sent senior Afton Jessogne to the mound. After Jessogne singled, Cady Jones hit a double to left field, bringing in Castro and Schneider to make it 4-3 Braden River.
“I was so happy and I knew my team was there,” said standout Cady Jones. “I knew my teammates had my back, and I could hear them coming out of the box as well as the fans cheering me on. Before I went up to the plate, I said a little prayer and I knew I hit it right. It wasn’t fun, but it worked, and I thank God it happened.”
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Evans came into shortstop after giving up a one-out single in the top of the seventh, but with the defense behind him, Evans got the final two outs to get the win for the Pirates.
Evans improved to 15-3 after throwing a complete game, allowing nine hits with two strikeouts. He was also 1-for-2 at the plate with an RBI.
Coakley led the way in hitting for Fort Myers after going 3-for-4, while Peterson led the way offensively, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.
— Patrick Clines
Class 2A-Region 3 semi final
Bishop Verot 12, Clearwater Central Catholic 2: If the Bishop Verot Vikings are going to head to the Final Four for the first time in a decade, they will have to slay their biggest dragon. The Vikings rolled past Clearwater Central Catholic on Tuesday at the Sam Fleishman Regional Sports Complex, punching Verot’s ticket to the regional championship game for the third time in four years. Awaiting the Vikings is the team that took them out in 2023 and 2025, the Warriors ranked high in Calvary Christian. Calvary shut out Tampa Catholic, 10-9.For a split second on Tuesday, it looked like a different Clearwater team would end the Vikings’ season, as the visiting Marauders jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. CCC put the game’s first two runners on base with a walk and a single, both runners scoring on Verot’s ensuing error. But it didn’t take long for the Vikings to respond. Verot needed just two hits to score four runs in the bottom half, a lead they would never relinquish. Leadoff hitter Willa Pagnutti scored the first run, scampering home from third after an errant throw back to the pitcher. The Vikings tied the game on an RBI single from freshman Emma Hall, then took the lead on an error off the bat of Josie Bettermann, which saw both Hall and Payton Breadmore come in to score. The Viking scoring continued in the bottom of the second, extending the lead to 8-2. The big hit of the inning came from junior Abby Goff, who blasted a two-run homer over the center field fence at John Clinger Field, a blast that also scored Tianna Wolfson, who led off the inning with a walk. Verot added two more runs later in the inning, thanks to an error off the bat of Lilly Kitto and a wild pitch. Verot put the game away in the fourth inning, striking out four times to score the run. Three runs came on RBI singles by Josie Bettermann, Willa Pagnutti, and Paige Bettermann, and the fourth came on a groundout. He gave up one hit in the final four innings. The Vikings will take on Calvary Christian in the FHSAA Class 2A-3 state championship game Thursday night in Clearwater. Verot will likely see Calvary sophomore ace Morgan Spinner in the huddle, as Verot looks to win the district title for the first time since 2016, when the Vikings went on to win their first championship.
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– Ryan Murphy
Class 4A-Region 3 semifinal
Seminole 7, Estero 5: The Warhawks scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to erase a 4-2 deficit. Ava Weinbaum had a double and two RBIs for Estero, while Maddy Milette added two hits, including a double, and scored one run for the Wildcats.
Class 1A-Region 3 semifinals
ECS 11, Shorecrest Prep 1: Karsyn Mootz went 2-for-3 with a home run, three runs scored and an RBI for the Sentinels. Keaunna Green and Anayeli Guzman combined for six hits and five runs scored for ECS.
The Sentinels will host Northside Christian on Thursday in the Class 1A-Region 3 tournament.
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Northside Christian 4, SFCA 2: The Mustangs scored three runs in the final two innings to hold off the Kings. Jade Dimaria went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs for SFCA.
This article first appeared in the Fort Myers News-Press: Gulf Coast, Bishop Verot, ECS to play in district championships
