WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A better script could not have been written for the end of Sophomore Day, as second-year captain Jillian Hudson earned the Polk State Softball team its third Citrus Conference win of the season in game two of Saturday afternoon's doubleheader versus Hillsborough Community College in walk-off fashion, 4-3. The Eagles responded in game two after suffering a 7-0 defeat in the opening contest.
 
With the game two victory, the Eagles (9-35, 3-31 Citrus) clinched the season series over the Hawks (12-30-1, 8-23-1 Citrus) 3-1.
 
GAME ONE: Hillsborough Community 7, Polk  State 0
 
The Hawks jumped out to an early 6-0 win, plating four in the top of the first and two more in the top of the second.
 
Jamie Reinhardt retaliated with three consecutive scoreless frames in the circle for Polk before HCC made it 7-0 in the top of the sixth inning.
 
The Eagles struggled in game one versus former Polk pitcher Baileigh Herrera, striking out six times and mustering only two hits, while Hillsborough totaled 13 hits in the game. Herrera retired 13 straight Polk bats from the bottom of the first through the bottom of the fifth.
 
Ray Hansen relieved Reinhardt in the top of the seventh and retired the Hawks in order.
 
GAME TWO: Polk State 4, Hillsborough Community 3
 
The Eagles struck first with an RBI double to left center off the bat of Hudson that scored Reinhardt. Polk tacked on two more in the bottom of the third via a sacrifice fly from Gianna Scopano and an RBI single to left-centerfield from Veronica Fernandez to make it 3-0.
 
Freshman right-handed pitcher Donnea Allen was excellent through the first five innings for Polk. Allen retired seven consecutive Hawks from the top of the first through the top of the third and recorded nine of her 11 strikeouts through the first five frames.
 
The Hawks mounted a rally in the top of the sixth, bringing three runs across on two hits and two errors by the Eagles to tie the game 3-3.
 
In the bottom of the third, Hudson provided her Sophomore Day heroics, blasting a double to right-center off her former teammate Herrera, whom HCC had brought back in back in the bottom of the sixth after tossing a complete game in the opening contest. Hudson's double scored Natalie Hiles to win the game.
 
Polk State looks to continue the positive momentum heading into another doubleheader back at the Diamond Plex on Tuesday against No. 3 Indian River State College. Game times are at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.