EFSC softball team earns split with walk-off in second game
The Eastern Florida State College softball team earned a split in a Citrus Conference doubleheader at Titan Softball Complex Tuesday.
The 20th ranked Titans lost the first game 5-3 in 10 innings but battled back in Game 2, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh inning to win 3-2 and split with No. 7 Miami Dade College.
The first game was a pitching duel between Avery Velazquez and Carina Amarilla as the two teams battled for 10 innings and almost three hours.
Miami Dade College loaded the bases in the second inning but Cintia Escalante hit a line drove that first baseman Cora Middleton grabbed and stepped on first for the double play to get out of the jam. With two on in the third inning, Velazquez got a big strikeout to end the inning.
In the bottom of the third inning the Titans struck with two outs as Aracelis Jimenez hit an infield single and Isabel Otero beat out an infield hit two put two on for Velazquez. The pitcher earned a walk on a on five pitches bringing up Ashley Corazzini.
Corazzini hit the second pitch she saw into the outfield, scoring both Jimenez and Otero.
Up 2-0, the Sharks scored as Dana Piri had an infield single and scored on a flyout as the throw to third hit her and she rounded third and scored. Up 2-1 in the sixth innings Piri led off the inning with a double and scored on Maria Valls Raya's single.
Tied 2-2 the two pitchers put up zeroes until the 10th inning when the tiebreaker began. With a runner at second, Cervantes singled to give the Sharks a lead and then Piri singled to put two on. Ebba Sofia Ericksson hit a two-run double to give the Sharks a 5-2 lead.
The Titans would score once in the bottom of the 10th, but the Sharks shut the door and picked up the win.
In Game 2, the Titans once again opened the scoring in the second inning as Grieser singled and scored on a hit by Isabel Otero.
Up 1-0, the Sharks would tie the game in the bottom of the third inning on Carmela Smith's triple as Smith would score on a sacrifice fly.
Starting pitcher Luci Walters had another solid outing with a season-high five strikeouts and allowed two runs. Tied 1-1, the Sharks took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning. After getting two outs, Pedroso singled and scored on a Gabriela Luz double.
It looked as if the Sharks would pick up the sweep as they had two on in the top of the seventh inning, but Walters got out of the jam to keep the game close.
In the bottom of the seventh inning the Titans got things going quickly as Cora Middleton singled and then Jimenez laid down a nice bunt, beating out the throw to put the first two hitters on. After a flyout, Corezzini hit a hard shot to third base and reached to load the bases. Emma George hit a ground ball that scored Middleton to tie the game.
With the bases still loaded, Grieser stepped up and hit a 2-0 pitch to the third baseman who went home but Jimenez beat the throw to score the winning run.
Eastern Florida State College is now 16-4 overall and 1-1 in the conference and will travel to Santa Fe College for a conference doubleheader on Thursday afternoon beginning at 2 p.m. The Titans will be back home on Saturday afternoon for a conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. and the game will be shown live on WEFS-TV. Admission is free to games at Titan Softball Complex.
