Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CLEARWATER, Fla. – Polk State Softball commenced the Kevin Lewis era with a split on the first day of the JUCO Kickoff.
GAME ONE: Pensacole State College, 15 Polk State 7 5 Inn.
The Eagles fell short to the Pirates in a slugfest. Polk struck first in the top of the first, after freshman
Jamie Reinhardt recorded her first collegiate RBI, driving home fellow freshman
Nayeli Hernandez who led off the inning with a double.
Pensacola responded in the bottom of the first with a four-run inning to take a 4-1 lead over Polk.
The Eagles retaliated with a mighty five-run frame in the top of the third, stringing together five hits and capitalizing on two Pensacola errors to regain the lead 6-4.
Donnea Allen,
Natalie Hiles, and
Veronica Fernandez each recorded their first collegiate RBI in the frame.
However, it was the Pirates who had the final word, rattling off eight unanswered runs over the bottom of the third and fourth innings to take a commanding 12-6 lead. After Hernandez recorded her third base hit of the game, a double to left field that brought Hiles home and brought the Eagles within five in the top of the fifth, Pensacola responded with a three-run bottom half of the frame to cement the run-rule win.
Allen got the start on the mound for Polk, conceding 11 earned runs on six hits and six walks over 3.1 innings while striking out three. Rayghan Hansen relieved Allen with one inning tossed, allowing three earned on three hits and striking out one batter.
GAME TWO: Polk State 7, U.S. Air Force Academy Club Team 0
Freshman left-handed pitcher
Jamie Reinhardt shined in her collegiate debut, striking out seven batters, allowing just two hits, and walking none in a complete game victory.
A pair of RBI-base hits by
Jaylenne Taboas and Hernandez put Polk State ahead 2-0 in the top of the second.
A four-run top of the fourth gave Reinhardt and the Eagles some more breathing room, with all four runs being scored on errors.
Kagan Dudney knocked in her first collegiate RBI in the top of the fifth, singling home Fernandez on a line drive to grow the Polk advantage to 7-0.
Between both contests today,
Nayeli Hernandez finished hitting .556 (5-for-9) with two RBIs and two runs scored.
"I am pleased with the overall effort of the girls today," said Polk State Head Coach Kevin Lewis, who earned his first win as head coach of the Eagles with the win over Air Force. "We are starting the season with a lot of injuries and the players who were available today stepped up and brought a lot of competitiveness."
The Eagles return to Clearwater on Sunday for day two of the JUCO Kickoff. Polk State starts the day nice and early against Tallahassee Community College at 8:30 a.m.
