Softball team loses a pair of conference games

The Eastern Florida State College softball team lost a pair of games to Indian River State College Monday night at Titan Softball Complex on the Melbourne campus.

The Pioneers won the first game 9-6 behind two big innings. Indian River State College scored four runs in the second inning and five more times in the fourth inning.

Nikki Pennington hit her seventh home run in the third inning, a two-run shot to cut the lead to 4-3. Pennington would drive in another run with a double in the fifth and the Titans scored two more times in the seventh but could not get any closer, falling 9-6.

The Titans scored runs in the first and second inning as Hanna Crumblish scored in the first inning and then drove in a run in the second inning.

But like Game 1, Indian River State College scored six times in the third inning to take a 6-2 lead. But this time the Titans struck back in the bottom of the fourth inning as Pennington drove in a run with a double and then Madison Neuhaus hit a two-run home run to cut the lead to 7-5. 

Pennington would tie the game 7-7 with a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Pioneers would load the bases in the top of the seventh inning but Katelyn Wilfert got Rachael Samaniego to pop up to end the threat.

But Indian River State College would score in the top of the eighth after Madison Headley reached on an error and scored on Juliana Speranza's sacrifice fly.

The Titans had one last chance in the bottom of the eighth but after the first two players reached base, they could not get the big hit, falling 8-7 in eight innings.

Indian River State College is now tied with the Titans at 8-2 in the Southern Conference. Eastern Florida State College will travel to Palm Beach State College Wednesday afternoon for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.