Titans softball team advances in FCSAA State Tournament

The Eastern Florida State College softball team came out swinging in the second game of the FCSAA State Softball Tournament at Dodgertown in Vero Beach Friday night.

The Titans defeated St. Petersburg 7-4 after falling to Seminole State College in the opener 8-0 to stay alive in the double elimination tournament.

"Before the game I said to them, what do we have to lose here? We know we are the better team, we know we can hit and let's show them we can hit," Eastern Florida State College assistant softball coach Bob Yanczewski said.

The Titans did just that as leadoff hitter Mary Waldron jumped on the first pitch for a single, Gabby Orland followed with a double and both scored on Karli Smith's single to give the Titans a 2-0 lead.

Waldron would drive in the third run of the game in the second inning with a single and Orland followed with an RBI single to give the Titans a 4-0 lead.

Jordan Lawliss held St. Petersburg in check for the first three innings but got into a jam in the fourth inning as St. Petersburg loaded the bases with two outs. But a line drive to Taylor Trimble at shortstop ended the threat.

"You have to take your hat off to Jordan, she did a really good job of working out of jams today," Yanczewski said.

The Titans would make it 5-0 on Trimble's RBI double in the fifth inning. St. Petersburg broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring twice.

But the Titans would get them back in the sixth inning as Brooke Diaz had an RBI single and Abby Ferlin had an RBI double.

After a two-run home run by St. Petersburg's Kylie Ernst, Lawliss settled down and got the final out to secure the Titans first state tournament win since 2011.

The Titans finished with 15 hits in the game and Lawliss struck out two in the win.

Eastern Florida State College will play Daytona State at 10 a.m. with the winner advancing to play again at 2 p.m.