WINTER HAVEN — Entering the 2026 season, Polk State Softball had not won on a walk-off home run in seven years. Lacey Osborne now has two of her own.

Osborne's walk-off blast capped a wild doubleheader as the Eagles salvaged a split with St. Petersburg College.

The Eagles trailed by as many as five in the nightcap and 13-12 entering the bottom of the seventh. Kirsten Aldridge led off the inning with a game-tying blast. Osborne's bomb came one pitch later as Polk State went back-to-back to pull out the 14-13 victory.

After the teams traded three-spots in the first inning, St. Petersburg regained the lead with five runs in the second. Polk State was able to chip away with four runs in the bottom of the inning, courtesy of RBI hits from Calonnie Holmes, Shyla de Latour, Osborne and Makenzie Foster. Osborne tied the game at 8-8 with an RBI double in the fourth.

Again, the Titans had an answer. St. Petersburg regained the lead with four runs in the top of the fifth but the Eagles answered right back. Makenzie Foster's grand slam in the bottom of the inning knotted the game at 12.

St. Petersburg's final lead came in the seventh on Theresa Diez's RBI single. Prior to Osborne's walk-off blast, Polk State never led.

Holmes, Osborne and Foster powered the Polk State offense with three hits apiece. Holmes had an RBI and three runs scored. Osborne had three RBIs and scored four times. Foster drove in five runs in the victory. Thea Williams added two hits and two RBIs.

Sydney Ralstin finished 4-for-4 for St. Petersburg with four RBIs and three runs scored. Diez added three hits and four RBIs in the loss.

Polk State dropped the first game in heartbreaking fashion. The Eagles let a four-run seventh-inning lead slip away in a 5-4 loss to St. Petersburg College in eight innings.

Polk State starting pitcher Hayle Peterson took a 4-0 lead and a shutout into the seventh inning. After the lead-off batter reached, the Eagles turned to Layla Hinojosa, who hadn't allowed an earned run since the season opener.

The Titans got to the Polk State pitching staff for four runs in the inning. St. Pete used consecutive two-out doubles from Brooke Bonalewicz and Jensen Nelson to draw even. 

Johalis Colon Rivera grounded into a fielder's choice to push across the go-ahead run in the eighth. Polk State was able to load the bases in the bottom of the inning but Ciana Vargas popped out to end the game.

All the Polk State offense came in the third inning. After de Lautour's sacrifice fly brought home Emma Kaylor to start the scoring, Aldridge belted a three-run home run to give the Eagles a 4-0 lead.

Despite the loss, Peterson was stellar in the circle. She was charged with two runs on five hits in 7.1 innings of work. Peterson struck out four and walked two. She faced just one batter in the second game but earned the win.

After a marathon doubleheader that was delayed by rain, the Eagles (6-12, 1-5 Citrus Conference) will have a quick turnaround. Polk State will play Friday morning contests against Mott Community College and Iowa Lakes Community College as part of The Spring Games.