NWF Falls to Indian River in the Quarterfinal. Will Play Galveston in an Elimination Game Later Tonight
OXFORD, Ala. – Northwest Florida State softball dropped its first game of the week in Oxford after falling to Indian River (3-2) for the second time in two weeks.
It was a tough day at the plate for the Raider offense. The team only produced two runs on four hits, including one extra-base hit. The Pioneers threw their ace, and FCSAA Player of the Year, J'dah Girigorie. The freshman right-hander tossed 7.0 innings, allowing two runs (one earned), with 11 strikeouts.
In the circle for the Raiders was Breana Barnes. The freshman rightly made her 15th start of the season and second straight appearance against the Pioneers after facing them in the FCSAA/Region VIII Championship. Barnes was impressive throughout, throwing 6.0 innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs, and adding in four strikeouts.
Northwest Florida took the early lead after Sister Arnold smashed a triple into right field, and Christian Mason drove her in with a single through the left side of the infield, putting the Raiders up 1-0.
In the bottom half, Barnes escaped a rough first inning with minimal damage after the Pioneers loaded the bases with no outs. Indian River plated two runs on a single and a sac-fly, but Barnes got out of the jam with a strike out and a throw down to third, catching a runner trying to steal. The Pioneers still leave the inning with a 2-1 lead.
Indian River added to their lead in the fourth with a two-out RBI double down the left-field line, extending their advantage to 3-1. However, Northwest Florida got that run back in the fifth after Hayden Andrews reached and scored on a throwing error by the third baseman, cutting the Raiders deficit down to one (3-2).
Despite their best efforts, the Raiders could not find an answer at the plate and struggled to build momentum, ultimately falling short of a comeback. Indian River defeated Northwest Florida for the second time in two weeks, 3-2, and advances to tomorrow's semifinal matchup.
The Raiders' path to a championship only gets harder from here. The team must win five straight elimination games, including a game tonight at 8:30 p.m. against Galveston if they want to bring home their first National Championship. This is a similar situation to last year's National Runner-Up team after they lost in the same round to Odessa. The team collected three straight wins, advancing them to their first National Title game in program history, where they would fall to the defending champs, Florida Southwestern.