Raiders Run-Rule No. 6 Santa Fe, Advance to FCSAA Championship Game
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Santa Fe College | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
|
Northwest Florida State College | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 1 |
CLEARWATER, Fla. — In a matchup between two top-10 programs, Northwest Florida delivered another strong postseason performance Thursday, defeating No. 6 Santa Fe 10-2 in five innings to punch its ticket to the FCSAA Championship Game for the third time in the last four seasons.
After falling behind 1-0 in the opening inning on an unearned run, the Raiders quickly responded in the third. Nyla Treptau gave Northwest Florida its first lead of the afternoon with a two-run double to right field, scoring Savannah Carter and Bre Hughes to make it 2-1.
The Raiders added two more runs in the fourth inning, capitalizing on a Julie Stevens fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly from Karson McGowan to extend the lead to 4-1. Santa Fe cut into the deficit with a sacrifice fly in the fifth, but Northwest Florida responded with a massive six-run bottom half to end the game early via run rule.
The fifth-inning surge featured RBI contributions from Falyn Beebe, Julie Stevens, Bre Hughes, and McGowan, while Anna Grace Griggs reached on an error that also plated a run. Hughes added an RBI triple before McGowan delivered the final blow with an RBI single to secure the 10-2 victory.
Northwest Florida scored 10 runs on seven hits while continuing to show patience at the plate, drawing six walks. Eight of the nine Raiders in the lineup reached base safely. McGowan once again paced the offense, finishing with two hits and two RBIs, including the game-clinching RBI in the fifth. Treptau also delivered a big performance, collecting two hits, two RBIs, and a walk.
Savannah Carter earned her 21st victory of the season in the circle, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits across 4.0 innings while striking out five. Marlee Parsons closed things out with a scoreless inning of relief, surrendering no hits while striking out one.
With the win, Northwest Florida advances to Friday's FCSAA Championship Game at 3:00 p.m. (CDT), where the Raiders will face the winner of Thursday night's matchup between No. 1 Florida Southwestern and No. 11 Eastern Florida.