OCALA- In a matchup between two of the nation's top three ranked softball teams, the College of Central Florida softball team made the plays when it needed them to sweep Seminole State.
No. 1 CF (33-4, 4-1) took the opener 4-2 and then held off the No. 3 Raiders 5-4 in the nightcap at home.
Holly McKinnon earned a win in the opener and survived a two-on, two-out situation in the top of the seventh for the save in Game 2.
McKinnon didn't allow an earned run in the opener and gave up seven hits. She walked three and struck out four.
CF scored twice in the first and added single runs in the third and fourth innings, before Seminole (25-5, 3-3) battled back with two runs in the seventh.
Left fielder Eryn Chester solidified the win by throwing out the runner at home to record the third and final out of the game the Lady Patriots needed.
In the opener, Eryn Chester (2-for-3, run scored), Mariah Wise (1-for-3), Taylor Morrow (solo home run), Rebecca Enter (1-for-3, two RBI), Lindsay O'Steen (2-for-3, run scored, double) and Nicole White (RBI) led the Patriots.
In the second game, Deeandreaya Davis scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fourth inning on an error by the Raiders.
Seminole scored the game's first run, but CF rallied for two in the bottom half of the first to go ahead.
After the Raiders tied the game in the second, CF got two solo home runs from Sarah Heimbach and Autumn Hanners. Seminole eventually tied things up with two runs of its own in the top of the fourth.
From there, Davis was able to score the go-ahead run and McKinnon slammed the door late for CF.
Chester (1-for-3, run scored), Morrow (run scored), Sarah Heimbach (solo home run), Autumn Hanners (1-for-2, run scored, home run, two RBI), O'Steen (1-for-3, RBI), White (2-for-3) and Davis (1-for-2, run scored led the Patriots at the plate.
Hanners earned the win despite walking eight batters. She allowed three earned runs on four hits and finished with three strikeouts.
The nation's top-ranked team will host Lake Sumter State on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.