Eagles sweep nationally-ranked NWF State to open PC play

NICEVILLE, Fla. (March 12, 2014) – FCSAA No. 7 Tallahassee Community College opened the Panhandle Conference softball season by sweeping nationally-ranked Northwest Florida State College, 11-5 and 5-1. 

Tallahassee, coming off a 10-day layoff, improved to 18-7 overall (2-0 PC). 

The Raiders (23-9, 0-2 PC), ranked No. 4 in the FCSAA Softball Coaches' Poll, received a No. 8 NJCAA ranking earlier on Wednesday. 

In the opener, Tallahassee erased a 5-2 deficit with five runs in the top of the fourth. With three runs already in, Shelby Manns drew a bases-loaded walk to score Alexis Huss with the go-ahead run. The next batter, Danielle Patterson, reached on a fielder's choice allowing Brenda Santana to score from third. 

Leading 7-5, the Eagles iced the game with two runs in the sixth and seventh innings. 

Brianna Murillo's two-run homer accounted for Tallahassee's sixth-inning scoring. In the seventh, Huss' one-out single plated Marina Cobbs, and a two-out error by Raiders third baseman Cathlin Bingham allowed Ashley Heath-Smith to cross home plate. 

By the time all was said and done, Tallahassee had scored 11 runs, the most allowed by Northwest Florida State in a game this season. 

Tallahassee racked up 15 hits in game one, led by Santana, who was 4-for-4 with three RBI. Her solo homer in the third gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead at the time. 

Murillo was 3-for-5 with three RBI. 

Cobbs (2-for-3, two runs), Heath-Smith (2-for-4, two runs) and Huss (2-for-5, one run) also enjoyed multi-hit games. 

In the circle, Mariah Rivera pitched around a shaky third inning to nab the complete-game victory. She yielded five runs in the bottom of the third but that was all the offense the Raiders could muster. 

Ashley Dobson was a workhorse for the Eagles in game two, allowing just four hits and one walk en route to the complete-game victory. 

Northwest Florida State broke up her shutout bid with a run in the bottom of the seventh. 

Tallahassee scored all five of its runs in the fifth. 

Heath-Smith's triple scored Cobbs, who reached on an error to lead off the inning, to break the scoreless tie. Run-scoring singles by Te Reo Powhiri Matautia and Santana increased the Eagles' lead to 3-0. 

Taesha DuBoise finished the scoring with a two-run single that scored Santana and Murillo. 

Heath-Smith went 3-for-4 in game two. Matautia was 2-for-4, as was Santana. 

Tallahassee will play its PC home opener on Saturday when it hosts Pensacola State College. Game one is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.