Raiders Faulter Late, Finish Opening Weekend 2-1

LAKELAND, Fla. – South Florida State scored seven runs over the final two innings to hand Northwest Florida baseball its first loss of the 2020 campaign, 10-4, Saturday.

The Raiders (2-1) led 4-3 when South Florida struck for two runs in the sixth and five more in the seventh to pull away.

Trailing 3-1 in the fourth inning, Brandon Riera and Nasir Frederick led off the frame with a single and double, respectively. Tomas Sanchez then came off the bench to dreve them both home on the first pitch he saw. Nic Nolan plated the go-ahead run with a single that scored Sanchez from second.

NWF got on the board in the second inning on a Riera RBI single. The sophomore catcher finished the game 3-for-3 and turned in a 5-for-6 weekend at the plate.

Calvin Starnes got the start on the mound going three innings and struck out three.

Northwest Florida returns to Niceville to play its home opener on Friday. The team will take on Motlow State at 11 a.m. and San Jacinto at 5 p.m.

For more information on Northwest Florida athletics, visit NWFRaiders.com or follow the team on Twitter at @NWF_Raiders.