OCALA--The College of Central Florida softball team finished opening weekend 6-0 after picking up wins against Tallahassee Community College (8-0, 5 innings), Pasco-Hernando State College (5-1), and Eastern Florida State College (8-6) on Day 2 of the JUCO Kickoff Classic.
Lindsay Markham-Rosario threw a no-hitter against TCC, striking out seven in the run-rule win. On the weekend, Markham-Rosario did not allow an earned run on five hits, while striking out 24 in 16 innings of work.
At the plate against TCC, Karli Woolington (2-for-3) led the way with three runs batted in, while Hannah Kelly (2-for-2), Takiya London (1-for-1, RBI, 2 runs scored), and Kayla Jensen (1-for-2, 2 runs scored) were also key contributors.
Freshman Samantha Urbina improved to 2-0 after leading CF past Pasco-Hernando. Urbina allowed just one earned run on four hits and struck out four in four innings. Markham-Rosario came in in the back end to shut down the Bobcats, allowing just one hit and striking out four in three innings.
Bailey Wilson got the scoring going for the Lady Patriots in the first inning, laying down a sac bunt to score Jensen. An inning later, Jensen tripled in Gretchen Ebert to go ahead 2-0 and in the third inning sophomore Katie Peters blasted her first homer of the year. Karli Allen and Tiffany Steczo tacked on additional insurance runs in the fifth inning.
CF closed out the weekend against Eastern Florida.
The Lady Patriots were up 6-0 heading into the fourth inning. The Titans plated three runs in the fourth and fifth innings to cut CF's lead by three. In the bottom of the fifth, CF went up 7-3 after Maggie Trgo flied into a double play scoring London.
To the sixth they went.
Titans countered with two more runs, but CF added another run of their own when Steczo doubled in Jensen to make it a 8-5 ballgame.
EFSC opened up the top of the seventh with a triple and a single to make it an 8-6 game, but a double play and ground out thwarted a Titan comeback and secured a CF win.
The Lady Patriots will welcome Hillsborough Community College for its home opener on Tuesday. The doubleheader is set for 2 and 4 p.m.