TCC Softball sweeps Pensacola State, now 4-0 in PC for first time since 2000

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (March 15, 2014) – FCSAA No. 7 Tallahassee Community College swept its second straight Panhandle Conference doubleheader on Saturday, defeating Pensacola State College 6-1 and 8-2. 

With the wins, Tallahassee is now 4-0 in Panhandle Conference play for the first time in 14 years. The Eagles last started 4-0 in league play in 2000 under then-head coach Maria Mendoza. Current head coach Patti Townsend was an assistant coach for the 2000 Eagles. 

Tallahassee sealed the latest sweep with an 8-2 win in game two, thanks to some timely hitting and Mariah Rivera's ten-strikeout effort in the circle. 

Rivera went the distance, allowing only four hits and one walk. She carried a 4-0 lead to the sixth but gave up a two-run homer to Ashley Peters that cut the Eagles' lead in half. 

As it did in game one, Tallahassee had a big inning in its hip pocket and answered the Pensacola State rally with four runs of its own. 

After Ashley Heath-Smith's fielder's choice scored Danielle Patterson, Te Reo Powhiri Matautia put the game out of reach with a three-run blast to the opposite field. 

Tallahassee outhit Pensacola State, 10-4, in game two behind four players who had two-hit games. 

Heath-Smith was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI. Alexis Huss was 2-for-4, Brenda Santana was 2-for-4 with a solo home run and Taesha DuBoise was 2-for-3. 

In the opener, the Eagles scored a run in their first at-bat then delivered the knockout punch with seven hits during a four-run third. 

Marina Cobbs' leadoff triple was the lone extra base hit of the frame, and she later scored on Matautia's one-out single. 

After Huss popped up to second for out two, the Eagles strung together five consecutive singles. Karley Yeager's contribution accounted for two of the runs as the inning ended with Tallahassee in front, 5-0. 

That was more than enough for game one starter and winning pitcher Ashley Dobson, who scattered seven hits and walked only one batter en route to the complete-game victory. 

She took a shutout to the seventh before giving up a one-out homer to Renae Palacios. 

Dobson finished with four strikeouts. 

Brianna Murillo went 3-for-3. Santana was 2-for-3. 

DuBoise was 1-for-3 with two RBI. She singled home Murillo with the final run in the third and scored Dominique Davis on a sac-fly in the fifth to complete the Eagles' game one scoring. 

Tallahassee will travel to Panama City, Fla., on Monday for a doubleheader against defending conference champion Gulf Coast State College.

Game one will begin at 5 p.m. eastern.