LONGWOOD — For the first time in program history, Oxbridge Academy softball has captured state hardware.
The Thunderwolves took down Cornerstone Charter Academy 5-1 in a Class 2A state championship showdown at Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood, Florida on Thursday, May 21.
Ila Trueblood was pivotal on both sides of the ball, supporting another dominant performance from Aubrey Vital in the circle as the Thunderwolves made program history.
It was the first state championship appearance since 2017 for Oxbridge. This time, the Thunderwolves made it count.
How it happened
Between Oxbridge’s Aubrey Vital and Cornerstone’s Izzy Choquette, Thursday’s title match proved to be a pitcher’s duel, through and through.
That effort from Oxbridge was helped by Ila Trueblood, who starred in left field.
With a runner on base, the junior made a sensational diving catch, going fully horizontal to reel in a fly ball peeling toward foul territory.
After three shutout innings from both pitchers, it was the Ducks that broke through, playing small ball with a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly to score the first run of the game.
Then, it was the Thunderwolves’ turn.
It was once again Trueblood coming through it the clutch, leading off with a single, advancing to second, and stealing third base.
Oxbridge loaded the bases to set up Vital, who helped her own cause with a soft liner for an RBI single.
Choquette rallied with back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat, but the momentum had begun to shift as the game entered the seventh inning.
After Kaiya Glucksman and Ila Trueblood reached base in the top half of the seventh, Riley Lyons lined a ball into the gap to give the Thunderwolves a 2-1 lead.
That hit chased the Choquette, but Oxbridge was not done, riding contact and an error to promptly unload the bases to complete a four-run inning and clinch the Class 2A title.
Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Oxbridge Academy softball wins first state championship