The #20 SCF softball team (45-16) ended their season at the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament as they fell 3-2 to RV Indian River State (36-16). With the loss, the Manatees are eliminated from the tournament and finished 1-2.
Suncoast Head Coach of the Year Mandy Schuerman sent freshman All-Suncoast Second Team member Madi LoCastro to the mound while Southern Conference Head Coach of the Year Dale Atkinson sent sophomore Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year Dawn Bodrug to counter.
After a scoreless first inning, the Manatees would get on the board first at the top of the second after LoCastro hit a two-RBI double that sent freshmen Kailey Christian and Alexis Bridges home to make it 2-0 SCF, but the Pioneers would answer back as sophomores Brittini Norwood and Rachael Samaniego hit back-to-back RBI singles to tie the game at 2-2.
In the bottom of the third, LoCastro was pulled and Christian would come in for relief. Freshman Brooke Mathews would give the Pioneers a 3-2 lead with an RBI.
In the last four innings, the Manatees were unable to score as IRS pulled away with the win.
Bodrug would be credited with her 24th win of the year after throwing a complete game, giving up two runs on two hits while walking five and striking out five.
LoCastro would earn a no-decision after throwing 2.2 innings, giving up two runs on two hits, walking one batter and striking out one while going 1-for-1 with two walks and two RBI. LoCastro finished her freshman campaign 11-3.
Christian would be dubbed with her fifth loss and finished her freshman campaign 23-5 after giving up one run on three hits while walking two and striking out three. Christian will now be preparing for Delaware for the 2019-20 season.
Aside from LoCastro, sophomore Kyria Holcomb had SCF's other hit as she finished 1-for-3.
Norwood would be the only Pioneer with a multi-hit game as she finished 2-for-3 with an RBI.
IRS will advance to the semifinals of the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 District H Championship and face #3 Chipola (45-5), who defeated and eliminated #17 Seminole State College (45-16) 12-2 via mercy rule.
#1 FSW (54-2) fell in the finals of the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 District G Championship game after losing 6-3 to #4 College of Central Florida (54-9). The Buccaneers will be competing in the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 District H Championship and await the winner between IRS and Chipola. The winner of that game will join CCF and punch their ticket to the national tournament.
The CCF Patriots are the 2019 FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Champions and will be punching their ticket to the NJCAA JUCO Softball World Series for the first time since 2014.
To conclude this story, I'm very proud of what the SCF softball team has done this season and I'm thankful that I got to write stories on their games, even if some of them did not go according to plan.
Nevertheless, I wish the best of luck to Kailey Christian at Delaware and sophomores Cheyenne Nunez (USC Upstate), Haley McFadden (NAIA Warner), Megan Seeds, Nicci Palumbo (FAU), Sydney Parks, Kyria Holcomb and Madison Yoder on their next journeys. I know they'll be successful wherever it takes them.
Schuerman ends her fifth season with SCF at 177 career wins and a overall record of 177-99 and a 67-30 record in Suncoast play.
Thank you Coach Mandy and the SCF softball team for one thrill of a lifetime.
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