Sophomores honored after doubleheader with Indian River State

The Eastern Florida State College softball team honored its sophomores after a rough night against Indian River State College Wednesday evening at Titan Softball Complex.

The Titans lost both ends of a doubleheader between the top two teams in the Southern Conference. The 6-2 and 7-2 losses leave the Titans a win away from clinching a spot in the state tournament.

But it was the sophomores' night as many of them shined in their final game at Titan Softball Complex.

Jordan Lawlis started the second game and pitched well, holding one of the top hitting teams in the state in check most of the game as the two teams headed to the seventh inning tied 1-1.  

With the game scoreless in the fourth inning, Indian River State College looked like it would take the lead but sophomore centerfielder Carina McCarver scooped up the single and made a nice throw to catcher Brooke Diaz who applied the tag to the runner trying to score to preserve the shutout.

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning and two outs, Hannah Crumblish hit a triple and then Nikki Pennington ripped an RBI single to tie the game.

The game would remain tied until Indian River State College exploded for six runs in the top of the seventh.

Pennington came up with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and crushed a 3-1 pitch off the scoreboard to cut the lead to 7-2.

Indian River State College jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a couple of errors. The Pioneers would add a run in the fourth, two more in the fifth inning and one in the sixth inning.

The Titans would score a couple of runs in the seventh inning as Diaz reached on an error and scored on Olivia Everett's RBI single. Everett would score on sophomore Mary Waldron's double.

After the game, the six sophomores were honored as Lawlis, Waldron, Diaz, McCarver, Gabby Orland and Savana Garrison received balloons and a framed jersey.

The Titans will travel to Palm Beach State on Saturday afternoon for the final doubleheader of the regular season. A win would clinch a spot in the state tournament May 3-6. The first game of the doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m.