OAKLEAF - Oakleaf softball pitcher Charlotte “Charley” Maddox starred at the plate and on the mound as the Knights overcame an early deficit to pull away from visiting Lake Howell (Winter Park) 8-3 in a Class 6A regional quarterfinal on Thursday, May 9.

Maddox, committed to play for Dartmouth in 2026, singled three times in four at-bats, driving in three runs, and pitched a five-hitter. Swinging at the first pitch in each plate appearance, the 6-foot junior scored the game-winning run in the pivotal third inning, drove in two runs with a single in the fourth inning, and tacked on another RBI in the sixth inning.
“Charley keeps it simple,” said Oakleaf head coach Heather Han, who cited statistics showing that batters who swing early in the count are more successful than those who wait until late in the count. “She sees the ball and she hits the ball. That’s her plan and it’s very effective.”
From the pitcher’s circle, after allowing three runs in the first two innings, the right-hander struck out six while shutting the Silver Hawks out over the final five frames. Maddox mixed in four different pitches, relying more on her change-up as the game wore on.
“Tonight Charley struggled a little bit with the mound conditions,” said Han. “It was a little slick out there, but she did a great job making an adjustment and pushing through.”
A light rain fell among gusty winds for much of the first three innings.
While Maddox was able to settle down, the Knights applied constant pressure to the Silver Hawks' defense throughout the game. Oakleaf baserunners stole seven bases, usually taking off at their first opportunity. The aggressive baserunning paid off, enabling the Knights to score runs without the benefit of extra-base hits.
In the first inning, Oakleaf lead-off batter Jaydyn Beall went from first base to third base on a bunt by Avery Garcia. She made it, and when her daring attempt drew a throw from Silver Hawks first baseman Julianne Terito, Garcia took off for second base and slid in safely. Both scored on Meshayla Pettaway’s ground-hugging line drive up the middle, giving the Knights a 2-1 lead.
The Knights’ boldness was on display again in the fourth inning when Beall walked and stole second base before Meshayla Pettaway drew a free pass one out later. Pettaway stole second after Beall had advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Thus, both were in scoring position and scored when Maddox roped a line drive into left-center field, stretching the Oakleaf advantage to 7-3.
“We do our best to take extra bases whenever we can,” said Han. “The team that is more aggressive and that attacks early usually wins the ballgame.”
Lake Howell took a 3-2 lead in the second inning on run-scoring singles by Skii Rodriguez and Nisa Fatzinger-Rodriguez. But the Knights regained the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning with momentum generated by Pettaway, who threw out Cate Haggerty stealing to end the top half. Garcia bounced a ground ball over the head of Silver Hawks Fatzinger-Rodriguez at third base to start the bottom half. Maddox followed one out later with a single, moving Pettaway to third. After a walk pushed Maddox to second base, freshman Camryn Beall drove a pitch from Lake Howell’s Rhianna Hudson to the wall in right-center field, plating Garcia and Maddox and giving the Knights a 4-3 lead.
The top three batters in the Oakleaf order— Jaydyn Beall, Garcia and Pettaway— combined to go four for nine with three stolen bases and six runs scored. Maddox followed in the clean-up spot with her three hits and three runs batted in.
The Knights, now 18-8, advance to the regional semifinals where they will face Hagerty on May 14. Hagerty, ranked eighth in Class 6A on MaxPreps.com with a 22-5 record, blasted Tate 15-0 in their regional quarterfinal.
“The sky is the limit,” said Han of her teams’ chances at a lengthy playoff run. “We are going to play Oakleaf softball.”
Skii Rodriguez had three hits for Lake Howell, which ends its season at 14-10.