#TCCSoftball picks up split at Chipola

MARIANNA, Fla. (March 20, 2016) - Tallahassee Community College's softball team picked up a much-needed 7-4 win in game two of Sunday's doubleheader at Chipola College to earn a split with the NJCAA No. 9 Indians.

Tallahassee (15-13) dropped game one, 9-1, but with the split is now 1-3 in Panhandle Conference play. Chipola (33-7) is 3-1 in league action.

Raya Moncus (6-5) gave the Eagles another strong start in the circle in game two. Last Wednesday, she carried a 3-0 shutout to the seventh against NJCAA No. 4 Northwest Florida State College, only to see the Raiders rally for the win.

Today, she took the circle for the seventh leading 7-2 and, despite allowing two runs in Chipola's final at-bat, emerged with the complete-game victory. She scattered nine hits over seven innings but issued no walks and struck out six.

Tallahassee got on the board in its first at-bat when Madisen Blair singled home Alycia Smith.  Casey Durham added to the lead when she led off the second with a solo homer, her fourth of the season.

Chipola picked up a run in the bottom of the second, and the score remained 2-1 into the fourth.

With two outs, Brooke Marendino's RBI-single plated Durham. Two Chipola errors later, Marendino crossed home plate to give the Eagles a 4-1 lead.

Moncus allowed a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth, but the Eagles got the run back in the fifth and added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth.

Smith's squeeze bunt scored Khayreyah Parrish for the first run of the sixth and, following a wild pitch, Smith came home on Kristin Gunter's two-out single.

Chipola made things interesting with two runs in the seventh before Moncus closed the door on the defending national champs.

Durham finished 3-for-4 and scored two runs. Gunter was 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Elisa Cecchetti was 2-for-3 and scored a run.

In game one, Tallahassee managed only three hits in Chipola's 9-1, run-rule victory.

The Indians scored three runs in the first off starter and losing pitcher Alexandra Cook (8-7), more than enough run support for Ilona Andringa.

Gunter, Cecchetti and Marendino had the Eagles' three hits.

Tallahassee will be back in action on Wednesday when it hosts Pensacola State College for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.