OCALA – Polk State Softball's season ended on a high note. The Eagles bounced back to win the second game of the doubleheader over College of Central Florida on Monday.
Polk State's bats got going late. The Eagles used an eight-run eighth to rally past the Patriots in an 11-5 victory in the season finale.
Polk State trailed 5-3 entering the seventh but an error to lead off the inning opened the door. Kirsten Aldridge's RBI double cut the deficit to one before she scored the tying run on Makenzie Foster's double. Leia Hurst followed with a two-run double of her own to give Polk State a 7-5 lead.
The Eagles, however, weren't done. Grace Adamonis plated Hurst on an RBI fielder's choice. A three-run error capped the big inning. Layla Hinojosa worked four scoreless innings of relief and retired all 12 batters she faced to pick up the win for Polk State.Â
Polk State started strong with RBI singles from Shyla de Lautour and Aldridge in the first inning. Central Florida responded with five straight runs before Adamonis' RBI single scored Foster in the sixth to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Aldridge and de Lautour each had three of the 14 Polk State hits. Foster and Jamie Glassford each added two knocks. Ciana Vargas scored three runs. Hope Jordan homered for the Patriots.
The first game didn't go as Polk State had hoped. Central Florida closed with nine unanswered runs to beat the Eagles in six innings, 9-1.
The lone run from Polk State came in the first as Aldridge doubled home Vargas. In the field, however, the Eagles had a tough time, committing seven errors. Eight of the Patriots' nine runs were unearned.
College of Central Florida went ahead for good with three runs in the bottom of the first before scoring four in the third and one each in the fifth and sixth. Polk State missed early opportunities at the plate, leaving the bases loaded in both the second and third innings.
Aldridge had two of the four hits for Polk State. Hurst and Marianna Salinas each added hits.
For Central Florida, Kaylee Riles went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Abbie Roach added two RBIs and three runs scored. Aleix Meneely went the distance in the circle.
With the split, Polk State will finish with a record of 22-34 and 14-26 in Citrus Conference play.
