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Box Score 2 WINTER HAVEN — Polk State Softball's best season in a decade will unfortunately not culminate in an FCSAA Tournament berth. The Eagles were eliminated from postseason contention after being swept by No. 17 Eastern Florida State College in a doubleheader on Tuesday.
The first game was more competitive than the 8-2 final score indicated.Â
In what was a pitchers' duel for most of the contest, Polk State's
Dee Allen and Eastern Florida State's Avery Velasquez traded zeroes for the first four innings. After the Titans drew first blood in the fifth, the Eagles took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Karyna Lewis scored on a wild pitch to tie the game 1-1.
Jamie Reinhardt followed with an RBI single to score
Veronica Fernandez to give Polk State a 2-1 lead.
Unfortunately, that lead would be short lived. Jessica Merk answered with a grand slam to give Eastern Florida State a 5-2 lead in the top of the sixth. The Titans added three runs in the seventh.
From the circle, Velasquez struck out 10 while allowing just five Polk State hits. She also had two hits at the plate, finishing with an RBI and three runs scored. Aracelis Jimenez added three hits for the Titans.
Eastern Florida completed the sweep with an 8-4 win in the second game.
With the help of a three-run home run from Velasquez in the third, Eastern Florida raced to a 5-0 lead. The Eagles got on the board in the fourth on a solo homer from
Silvia Franzoni.
After a run in the top of the sixth extended the Eastern Florida to 6-1, Polk State was able to cut the deficit to three in the bottom of the inning on
Chelsi Rae' Hebert's team-leading ninth home run of the year — a two-run shot. It was her third of the season against the Titans. That's as close as the Eagles (27-28, 14-22 Citrus Conference) would get.
Jimenez equaled Polk State's hit total, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Velasquez finished with two hits and two runs scored for the Titans.
With the losses, Polk State is no longer alive mathematically for one of the top six spots in the Citrus Conference and an FCSAA Tournament berth. The Eagles will hit the road for the final time this season on Thursday when they visit No. 2 Florida SouthWestern State College for a doubleheader. Game times are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
