Softball team loses pair to No. 1 Florida Southwestern Saturday

The Eastern Florida State College softball team lost a pair of games to No. 1 Florida Southwestern Saturday at Titan Softball Complex.

The 19^th-ranked Titans fell 9-1 and 7-5 in the doubleheader and are now 9-11 in the Citrus Conference. Florida Southwestern improved to 18-1 in the conference and 33-1 overall.

After falling 9-1 in the first game, the Titans got on the board first in the second inning as Ashley Grieser walked and Jessica Merk doubled. With runners at second and third, Grieser scored on  Kayla Fanning's bunt single and then Merk would score on an Aracelis Jimenez groundout to make it 2-0.

The Bucs would take the lead in the top of the third inning as Skylar Brennan hit a two-run single and scored on Virginia Mambelli's triple.

But the Titans would respond in the bottom of the third as they rallied with two outs. Emma George started it with a single and then Isabel Otero followed with a single. An infield single by Ashley Grieser loaded the bases for Jessica Merk.

Merk hit a two-run single to give the Titans a 4-2 lead. Merk would later score to make it 5-2.

But the Bucs would tie the game 5-5 and end Alanna O'Brien's day. Avery Velazquez came in and got out of the jam but three straight singles in the fifth inning would give the Bucs the lead and they would add two runs in the sixth to lead 7-5.

With two outs, the Titans made one last run as Merk walked and Cora Middleton had a pinch hit single. But Leah Meyer, who won Game 1, came in to get the final out and end the threat.

Merk went 2-for-3 in the game for the Titans.

Eastern Florida State College will travel to Miami to play No. 8 Miami Dade College on Tuesday in a conference doubleheader. It will mark the third straight series that the Titans have faced a top 10 in the nation.