NWF Shuts Out Pima in Opening Game of NJCAA World Series, 7-0

OXFORD, Ala. – On Tuesday, Northwest Florida State softball secured a 7-0 victory over Pima College in the first round of the NJCAA Softball World Series following another standout performance in the circle by Cailyn Heyl, and nine hits from the Raider offense. 

The Raiders jumped out an early lead in the first inning thanks to back-to-back singles by Gyvan Hammons and Ashlyn Shirah, allowing Sister Arnold to bring home a run with a single to center. Following this, Christina Mason smashed a triple to right-center, driving home two more runs and putting the score at 3-0. A few batters later, Britt Bourgoyne executed a squeeze bunt, allowing Mason to score from third and putting NWF up 4-0. 

After back-to-back innings with no runs allowed, the Raiders were able to tack on another thanks to a Sophia Jones home run to center field, putting the Raiders up by five. Northwest Florida added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth with Hayden Andrew's ground out and another RBI by Jones, giving them a commanding 7-0 advantage. 

Heyl shut the door on any Aztec comeback in the seventh after working another clean inning, securing the win and advancing them to the tournament's second round. Heyl earned her 35th win of the season, tossing 7.0 innings, allowing three hits, one walk, three strikeouts, and no runs allowed. 

Looking ahead, the Raiders are set to face 11-seed Wallace State tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. (CDT) at Choccolocco Park in Oxford. The Lions are coming off a strong 9-6 victory in their first game against Salt Lake, showcasing a 14-hit performance from their offense, including three RBIs from their six-hole hitter, Chloe Woods. It's bound to be an exciting match. 

If the Raiders win, they will advance to a Thursday matchup at 4:00 pm against the winner of game 24 between (7) Galveston and (3) Indian River.