A walk-off single ended a pitchers' duel with a win as TCJ Eagles Softball came from behind to take Game 1 in earning a split with the South Region's Paine College Lions on Saturday. Trinity won the opener 3-2, but Paine had two rallies and got brilliant pitching to win the nightcap 9-0 in five innings. 

Game 1: Eagles 3, Paine 2

Cassidy Custer raced home with the game-winning run on a blooper with 2 outs in the bottom of the 7th, and the Eagles completed a comeback to get the walk-off win.

After the first two batters were out, Custer, who entered the game defensively an inning eariler, lined a base hit to right to get aboard. She stole second and third while Alondra Galindo-Diaz was at bat. Galindo-Diaz walked to bring up Piper Young. Already with two infield hits, Young looped a ball over the pitcher's head and beat a solid throw from the shortstop at first to allow Custer to cross with the game-wining run.

[Cassidy Custer scores the game-winning run in Game 1.]

The Eagles rallied for two runs to tie the score in the bottom of the 6th. Galindo-Diaz led off with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Kylea Duhig walked with 1 out, Ellarie McGatha singled to load the bases. A passed ball let Galindo-Diaz score as each runner moved up 60 feet. Cali Dunn's ground ball drove in Elizabeth Hilton (pinch runner for Duhig) to knot it up at 2-2. 

McGatha aided Young in a 1-2-3 top of the 7th with a stretch that allowed a throw from shortstop Nicole Yi to nab Paine's leadoff hitter at first. Young then fanned one and got a ground ball to set up the walk-off win.

Young pitched all 7 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits. She walked only 1 and struck out 2. At the plate, she was 3 for 4 (all infield singles) with the game-winning RBI.

Paine scored an unearned run in the 4th when Marina Hinohosa's ground ball went astray to allow Z'Liyah Harris to score. One inning later, Catherine Lewis hit a solo home run to make the score 2-0. 

Game 2: Paine 9, Eagles 0

Game 2 was all Paine, and they started immediately. The first three batters all reached and scored with Lewis driving in 2 with a base hit. Paine then tallied 5 unearned runs in the third, taking advantage of a bobbled ball then having 5 of the next 6 batters all hit safely. Miracle Brown capped the rally with a 2-run double. The Lions then added 1 more in the fifth.

Lewis pitched 5 shutout innings and held the Eagles to only 2 hits, both by Young.

Next Up:

The Eagles will return to Viera to play two more at the Space Coast Complex on Wednesday, March 11. TCJ will play USCAA Bloomfield College at 10:00 a.m. EDT and NAIA Lourdes University at 12:15. Trinity will then travel to the University of Fort Lauderdale for a South Region double-header on March 13 then play two with NAIA St. Thomas University on March 14.