Pirates Come Up Short in Nail Biter

The State Tournament was a wild ride for the Pirate softball team. After winning the opening game on Friday, Pensacola dropped a game to Central Florida on Saturday. They fought back and knocked Chipola out of the tournament in the first game on Sunday before losing a heartbreaker to no. 1 ranked Florida Southwestern on Sunday night. Continue reading below for individual game recaps.

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Pensacola watched the game slip away early and could not recover against the Patriots. Central Florida capitalized on two doubles in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead.

With two outs in the third inning Mya Geros drew a walk and advanced to second on a single from Tori Ratigan. Susanna Soldi followed with a single through the right slide to score Geros and make it 2-1.

The remained 2-1 until the wheels came off in the top of the seventh and Central Florida added four more runs and the Pirates fell 6-1.

Tori Ratigan, Susanna Soldi and Cameron Buzzell were the only Pirates to collect hits in the game.

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The Pirates bounced back on Sunday and eliminated Chipola from the tournament with a handy 6-0 effort.

Pensacola got on the board in the second inning when Isabelle Hanna drew a walk with two outs. Mya Geros followed with a triple to left center and the scored on Tori Ratigan's single to right to give PSC a 2-0 lead.

Isabelle Hanna again got things started in the fifth with a single to short and advance to third on a bunt from Geros that was thrown away at first base. Tori Ratigan and Susanna Soldi hit back-to-back RBI singles to make it 4-0. With one out, Georgia Hood drove a sacrifice fly to center to plate the fifth run and then Jenna Trim singled to drive in the Pirates final run of the game.

In her third start of the tournament, Lydia Drake was dominant in the circle throwing a complete game shutout. She only allowed three hits and struck out five while walking none.

Pensacola recorded 10 hits in the game with Tori Ratigan (2 RBI) and Susanna Soldi (RBI) both going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Mya Geros was 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored and Isabelle Hanna was 2-for-2 with two runs scored.

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Pensacola faced the no. 1 team in the nation on Sunday evening and came up just short.

The game remained scoreless until the third inning when an error and stolen base set the table for FSW's Feline Poot to drive in the first run of the game. With one out and runners on second and third Pensacola's third baseman Brianna Duggins made a backhanded grab and tagged the runner at third out before throwing across the diamond to complete the inning ending double play.

The Pirates kept the momentum going in the bottom of the inning when Cameron Wolfenden singled to right and advanced to second on an error. Pinch runner Kelsi Bargman advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Isabelle Hanna and then tied the game on a sacrifice fly from Mya Geros. 

Susanna Soldi led off the fourth inning with a double to left and advanced to third on a single from Georgia Hood. Jenna Trim followed with a sacrifice fly to center to give Pensacola a 2-1 lead.

In the top of the sixth FSW had runner on second and third when Charlotte Drijvers hit a ground ball to first that Jenna Trim threw home and the runner was called safe in the close play at the plate. The Bucs would plate the go ahead run on a ground out that Cameron Buzzell made a diving stop on and got the out at first. 

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth the Pirates used three singles to load the bases, but could not push a run across.

After recording three quick outs in the top of the seventh, Isabelle Hanna singled up to the middle to start things. Mya Geros was called out when her bunted ball hit her in fair territory. Tori Ratigan followed with a well placed bunt that was bobbled at first and PSC had runner on second and third. Susanna Soldi drove the first pitch of her at bat into right center, but Hanna was struck down at the plate in a close play. Georgia Hood was walked to load the bases, but the game ended on a strikeout.

Pensacola tallied nine hits in the game with Susanna Soldi leading the way going 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored.

Georgia Hood went the distance on the rubber scattering seven hits and striking out four.

The Pirates close out the season with a 39-11 record.