LAKE WORTH BEACH — The dugout spirit is still high for Spanish River’s softball team, with players chanting and singing up until the final out Wednesday night at Park Vista’s home ballfield.

The problem is, the winning is at a low.

In a stunning reversal, Spanish River has gone from state champions to struggling to stay afloat. Wednesday's game in west Boynton Beach may have been a low point as powerful Park Vista crushed Spanish River 12-3 in a game that neared a mercy-rule ending in the fifth inning.

Mercy, mercy, what has happened to the mighty Sharks? They have fallen to 2-6 after falling behind 9-1 after two innings vs. Park Vista.

“Coming into the season, we had higher expectations," Spanish River team captain Sophia Comacho said. “A lot of us didn’t make the adjustments over the summer that we needed to, including myself. Some of our girls didn’t choose to play travel. It’s not a bad thing. It’s a personal decision. But now we know we need to continue to work hard after that (title). That win in the past is great but we needed to make it consistent.’’

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Veteran coach Ashley Byrd gave a long lecture to her players after the rout. Spanish River’s surprise run to the 7A state title earned the Sharks The Palm Beach Post’s Team of the Year honors.

“It’s been a super slow start," Byrd said. “We’re pushing for the bounceback."

All their main players returned, but Spanish River suffered a monster blow two weeks ago when starting catcher Emma Lovene suffered a concussion in a collision at home plate. She’s had more than one concussion so there’s speculation she could be done.

It has forced Byrd to shuffle around three other players in the field to make up for Lovene’s loss, and SpanishRiver looked sloppy in the field. A three-base error cost them two runs in the second inning that put them in a 9-1 hole with Park Vista’s speed on display.

“We had some people out of position people who haven’t played that role," Byrd said. “Park Vista plays a lot of small ball and if you’re not comfortable, it will lead to mistakes, which it did. (The mistakes) are eating us alive."

Consistent Cobras

Park Vista is trending in the opposite direction after losing in last season’s state regional finals — one step from the state semifinals. It is always a powerhouse program and looks again to be superb with its offensive versatility.

The Mergen sisters were the stars Wednesday. Senior Nicole cracked a two-run home run in the second inning and her sister, sophomore Angelina, pitched a complete game, not allowing a run in the final four innings.

“It’s always fun to play on the field with my sister one last season," Nicole Mergen said. “It’s my senior year. We did it when we first started."

Park Vista jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, sending all nine batters to the plate with a couple of bunts and bloops off starting pitcher Gigi Portanova.

“We beat a lot of teams with our speed and make teams work," said assistant coach George Ortiz, who managed the team on Wednesday. “If they’re  not on point, that’s how we beat them."

Park Vista moved to 5-2 and have dealt with injuries too.

“I feel solid about everything this year," Nicole Mergen said. “Pitching defense, hitting. Even with some girls out, we’re doing so well. I can’t wait until they get here. I expect to win (the state title) this year."

Spanish River's search for answers

The Cobras’ deluge started innocently enough with a bunt single by Isabella Golas followed by a bloop single by Nicole Mergen.

Gola scored on a wild pitch and Hannah Durante doubled in the second run. Isabella LaGreca bashed a single up the middle, scoring two more runs for a 4-0 lead. Mya Rosa knocked in the fifth run with an opposite-field single to right.

Then it was 9-1. After Mergen’s two-run homer to left-center with her sister Angelina on base after a bunt single, Park Vista added two more runs because of sloppy Spanish River defense.

With Durante on base, Molly Martin beat out a grounder and advanced all the way home after a throw at second base bounced in the dirt and rolled into leftcenter field. Durante and Martin scored.

“A lot of us didn’t play fall and we’ve just been in our heads had a high from last year," co-captain Oliva Hannaka said. “It’s time to get back to reality the rest of the season. We’ve had a downhill slope and need to get it back what it used to be."

Spanish River got within 9-3 after RBI singles by Alaina George and Abygail Gonzalez. But the inning ended when George was thrown out at the plate on a grounder after which she received a reprimand from the coaching staff and Riley Ready tumbled to the turf halfway up the first-base line trying to beat out a grounder.

Ready was not hurt but the Spanish River season limps along, even if the Spanish River dugout sounded as enthusiastic as ever. No heads were hung in the last inning.

“You got to have fight and never give up until the end," Byrd said. “It was our motto last year. It got us that far and we’re trying to continue it."

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Spanish River softball off to slow start in state title defense