Softball team set to open tournament Wednesday afternoon

The Eastern Florida State College softball team held their final workout on Tuesday and are ready to open the FCSAA Division I/NJCAA South Atlantic District Championship in Clearwater.

The Titans, who come into the tournament as the No. 7 seed, will play No. 2 Florida SouthWestern State College at Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater at 4 p.m.

"We are really excited to be in the tournament and are ready to get on the field and play," Eastern Florida State College softball coach Shelby Petik said. "The girls have worked hard and if we play our game, it should be a really good game. They are rested and healthy, and ready to get after it."

The teams are both in the top four in the state in batting average as the Titans are No. 3 hitting .356 while Florida Southwestern is fourth, hitting .352. The Bucs lead Region 8 in pitching, coming into the postseason with a 1.67 ERA. The trio of Esmee Ames (1.55) and Lea Chevrier (1.63) are both in the top five in Region 8 in earned run average.  

Freshman McKenzie Jewell, who will be honored before the game as an all-state player, is hitting .398 with 19 doubles and has been good in four games against the Bucs, going 6-for-11 with four RBI. Teammate Jenna Borkey comes into the tournament hitting .407 with 43 stolen bases and Livie Davis comes into the tournament hitting .396 with 13 doubles and a Region 8 best eight triples.

You can watch the game live online here

The tournament is a double elimination tournament that will end on Saturday with two teams winning South District bids.