Pirates Split with Northwest Florida

The Pirate softball team traveled to Northwest Florida on Wednesday and split the double header. Continue reading below for individual game recaps.

PSC 8 NWF 9

The Pirates effort to come back from down five runs in the sixth inning came up just short as they fell 9-8 in the first game.

Sajarie Jones singled to start the game and eventually scored on a single from Maddy Childs to give the Pirates an early 1-0 lead. 

Northwest Florida answered in the bottom of the inning when they led off with a homerun. In the second they used back to back hits to go ahead 4-1. 

The score held until the fourth when with two outs Shaylan Whatman singled and scored on a double from Kelsi Bargman to make it 4-2.

In the top of the sixth Monique Poitevin and Shaylan Whatman had back to back doubles to set the table for Mya Geros to hit a ball that the shortstop missplayed and allowed Poitevin to score. With runners on first and third Geros stole second and Whatman took home on the throw. The homeplate umpire called obstruction, which NWF argued and the umpire reversed his call. The Pirates protested and after a 15 minute delay and rule book review the run was awarded and the game was tied at four.

The bottom of the sixth saw the Raiders plate five runs and take a 9-4 advantage into the seventh inning.

Ellie Hansen started the Pirate rally with a double and Maddy Childs followed with a single. After a ground out Jessica Ford walked to load the bases and Shaylan Whatman singled to drive in the fifth run. With two outs Mya Geros hit a double off the center field wall to drive in three runs, but a groundout ended the rally and game.

Shaylan Whatman was 3-for-4 in the game while Sajarie Jones, Ellie Hansen, Maddy Childs and Mya Geros each chipped in two hits.

PSC 11 NWF 6

After a weather debate the second game started and the teams finished it despite the wet field conditions.

Sajarie Jones reached on a single and went all the way to third on an errant throw before scoring on a passed ball. Susanna Soldi walked and Ellie Hansen was hit by a pitch before a fielder's choice from Monique Poitevin plated the second run.

Northwest used a sacrifice fly to score their first run of the game in the bottom half of the inning.

Shaylan Whatman singled and Kelsi Bargman walked to set the table for Mya Geros to double to left field a drive in one run. Bargman then scored on a passed ball to make it 4-1 Pirates. Jaycie Brookshire grounded into a double play, but Geros scored to give PSC a 5-1 lead. Ellie Hansen stepped to the plate and stroked a double to left field and then scored on Maddy Childs double to center field. 

The scoring continued in the bottom of the second as NWF plated pushed across two runs to pull within three.

Jessica Ford doubled to lead things off in the third and eventually scored on a Kelsi Bargman double to make it 7-3. Bargman was on third base when Sajarie Jones flew out to center field and when Bargman faked a tag up the centerfielder threw the ball into the ground and allowed the run to score making it 8-3 Pirates.

The Raiders plated one run in the bottom of the inning to make it 8-4 and the top of the fourth was the first inning PSC could not push a run across. Northwest used a sacrifice fly to make the score 8-5 after the fourth inning.

In the top of the fifth Shaylan Whatman and Kelsi Bargman recorded back to back singles and Sajarie Jones drove in the Pirates ninth run with a single to center.

With the score sitting at 9-5 in the bottom of the fifth the Raiders used a couple of hits and a passed ball to plate their sixth and final run of the game.

Pensacola responded with Ellie Hansen doubling to lead off the top of the sixth and Maddy Childs and Monique Poitevin hitting back to back singles to score PSC's 10th run. After a NWF error the Pirates 11th run scored on a fielder's choice to third base.

Avery Beauchaine locked things in on the rubber and the Raiders did not threaten the rest of the game. Beauchaine picked up her seventh win of the season as she went the distance (minus the first batter of the game) and struck out five while only allowing three earned runs.

The Pirates had 14 hits in the game and every batter reached base safely at least once. Ellie Hansen was 3-for-4 with two doubles and Shaylan Whatman was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.

The Pirates hold a half game lead for first place in the Panhandle and will face second place Chipola on Saturday.