TCC slugs its way to split with No. 12 Pensacola State

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (March 24, 2021) – Sheshe Ortiz, Aneyshka Aponte and Raven Little all homered during Tallahassee Community College's 12-10, game two victory against NJCAA No. 12/Region 8 No. 3 Pensacola State College in Thursday's Panhandle Conference softball doubleheader. 

Pensacola State took game one, 3-2. 

After a low-scoring affair in the opener, which yielded just five runs and seven hits, the teams combined for 22 runs and 28 hits in the nightcap. Pensacola State outhit the host Eagles, 16-12, but the home run ball proved to be the equalizer for Tallahassee. 

With the game tied at two entering the bottom of the second, MacKenzie Childs drew a leadoff walk and Jania Davis followed with a double, part of a 5-for-5 game two. The second of consecutive groundouts scored Childs from third with the go-ahead run. Little singled and Maddy Walther drew one of her four walks to load the bases for Ortiz, who blasted a grand slam over the left field fence to put the Eagles in front, 7-2. 

Two more runs in the third pushed Tallahassee's lead to 9-3 before the Pirates plated three of their own to cut the Eagles' lead in half. 

Tallahassee got the three runs back in the fifth. Aponte followed Davis' leadoff single with a home run. Two batters later, Little's solo shot made it a 12-6 ballgame. 

Pensacola State scored a run in the sixth and three in the seventh, eventually bringing the tying run to the plate but Isanthe Rouwenhorst retired Ellie Hansen on a fly out to center to end the game. 

With a run already on the board against starter Emma Fowler, Rouwenhorst (2-4) inherited a two-on, none-out jam in the top of third, but needed just four pitches to escape the inning without further damage, and pitched the final five innings for the win. 

In game one, Pensacola State did all its damage against Emily Oakes (2-5) in the top of the second, though it needed only one hit to plate three runs. With the bases loaded and one out, Oakes walked consecutive batters and hit a third, resulting in a 3-0 lead for the Pirates. 

Before and after, Oakes was in control, allowing just two hits and two walks in the other six innings combined. 

Little got Tallahassee on the board in the fourth with a solo homer. In the sixth, a perfectly executed double steal scored Aponte from third and left Davis in scoring position with just one out, but she was stranded. Tallahassee was retired in order in the seventh. 

Davis (2-for-3) had two of the Eagles' four hits and finished 7-for-8 in the doubleheader. 

Tallahassee will travel to Gulf Coast State College for a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m.