BREAKING: Tallahassee wins region championship; next stop: Utah

PENSACOLA, Fla. (May 5, 2014) - Tallahassee Community College won the NJCAA Region 8B/FCSAA Gulf District championship on Monday, defeating Polk State College by the scores of 4-2 and 5-2.

The win sends the Eagles to the NJCAA Division I Softball Tournament in St. George, Utah, May 14-17.

Tallahassee (40-12), who fell into the loser's bracket of the eight-team, double-elimination tournament after a 5-2 loss to Hillsborough Community College in Saturday's first game won six straight elimination games - one on Saturday, three on Sunday and two on Monday - to capture its third region championship in the last seven years (2008, 2011). 

In Monday's opener, Tallahassee trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth but got a three-run homer from Alexis Huss to grab a 4-2 advantage. 

Ashley Dobson went the distance in game one and pitched into the fifth inning in game two against Polk State, who needed only one win on Monday to capture the crown. 

Dobson exited game two with a 4-0 lead. 

Tallahassee jumped on Polk State for four runs in the third. After a error allowed a run to score from third, Huss belted another three-run shot - her third home run in as many games - to give the Eagles a 4-0 lead. 

Te Reo Powhiri Matautia added a solo homer in the fifth for the Eagles' final run. 

Polk State got on the board with a two-run homer in the sixth, but Mariah Rivera, who came on for Dobson in the fifth closed the door from there. 

Dobson picked up the win in both games while Rivera was credited with a save in game two.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.