Raiders Find Their Sparks

By TRAVIS MEWHIRTER

NICEVILLE — Hannah Sparks took more than 400 swings in batting practice this week. In two days.

Such is the punishment when a Northwest Florida State Raider strikes out three times in a week, as Sparks did in last week's three-game sweep of Faulkner State and Southern Union Community.

Evidently at some point in those 400-plus swings, Sparks found her comfort zone again.

All she did on Wednesday afternoon was nearly hit for the cycle against visiting Lansing, bailing the Raiders out of an 8-1 hole with a triple, home run, single, walk, three runs and two RBIs in a 13-12 comeback win at home.

"I hit 30 buckets of balls, and there are 25 balls in a bucket, so yeah," Sparks said.

"I feel more comfortable at the plate. I mean, how could I not feel comfortable when I've swung the bat so many times?"

Of course, it takes more than one torrid hitter for a team to revive itself after falling behind 8-1 in the third inning.

After Lansing batted around the order, sending 12 hitters to the plate in a four-hit, two-walk, two-error, eight-run inning, the Raiders bats initially remained dormant — except for Sparks.

She swatted one over the left-field wall in the fourth inning for a solo home run and her fifth of the year.

But then nothing came of a leadoff double and single by Cheyenne Jones and Ashley Roe in the fifth, leaving the Raiders in a seven-run hole with just two innings to make it up.

Lauren Donaldson, who belted a walk-off grand slam a week ago, led off in the sixth with a single, which preceded a Sparks single, putting runners on the corners.

After Savannah Smathers popped up to short, Jade Williams grounded to the third baseman, who checked Donaldson before firing to first, only the ball sailed past the glove of the Stars' first baseman and Donaldson made her way home.

Eight to two.

Jones, Roe, Missy Dixon and Alexis Duncan rattled off four straight singles before Lansing pitcher Allie Grys threw a wild pitch, compounded by a wild throw from the catcher, resulting in another two runs.

In the matter of 15 minutes, the Raiders went from down 8-1 to up 9-8 with just one out and Donaldson at the plate.

She popped up to second, but then Sparks walked and Smathers batted her in for her second run of the inning.

Jade Williams hit a single, putting runners on the corners again, and Jones sent Smathers home with an RBI single.

Roe's fly out to center ended the inning, but not before the Raiders scored 10 runs and took a 13-8 lead.

But this is Northwest Florida State, where walkoffs happen as often as not and no win is ever easy.

"It seems like that's what we do this season," Sparks said.

"We're always battling back. Coach jokes about us giving him heart attacks at the end of the games. He was like 'Y'all gotta stop doing that.' "

Mallory Carpenter allowed two singles and plunked the third batter, prompting coach Jack Byerley to send starter Sierra Pare' back in the game after allowing the majority of the devastating third inning.

She gave up a grand slam.

Lansing was within one.

Pare' somehow found her composure, settling down enough to force a pair of groundouts to third, which sandwiched a fly out to left field, sealing up NWF State's sixth straight win.

"Wild one," Byerley said. "Eight to one and they come back? Are you serious? That's all you can say about these kids."

Game 2

Lansing 2, NWF State 1

The second game wasn't quite the high-scoring affair the first was, with Lansing winning.

Missy Dixon had the lone RBI for NWF State.