Santa Fe softball entered the season focused on punching its ticket to the NJCAA D1 Softball World Series, which it did with an 11th seed bid, but the Saints didn’t stop there.
While they didn’t take home the title, the team’s young roster showed potential.
In their first national tournament appearance since 2013, the Saints battled to the penultimate day of competition Friday before falling 7-1 to Temple College.
Santa Fe got off on the wrong foot after a weather delay pushed its opening game against Odessa College to Tuesday. A 4-2 loss put the Saints on the brink of elimination for the remainder of the tournament.
The Saints managed the pressure against Gaston College in a 6-3 victory in eight innings on Wednesday.
After an 8-hour rain delay, Santa Fe rallied to extend its season, tying the game 3-3 at the top of 7th. Saints ace Belle Mancillas shut down the Rhino’s offense, pushing the contest to extras.
Shortstop Tegan Grizzard gave the Saints the go-ahead run with an RBI single, bringing pinch-hitter McKenna O’Sullivan home. The offense put up two more with two outs, sealing the victory.
Santa Fe returned to the ballpark Thursday, eliminating the No. 5 seed Seminole State in a tight 4-3 battle. Citrus Conference North Player of the Year Molly Bender continued shining for the Saints on the plate. The centerfielder gave the Saints their 4-0 lead in the second inning with a homer, scoring three runs while extending her season total to 14 home runs.
After allowing three runs, Mancillas stumped the Seminole’s offense at the top of the 7th, pitching her third straight complete game of the tournament.
Before Santa Fe met its fate Friday against Temple, its postseason hopes stayed alive earlier in the day with a 6-4 comeback win over Eastern Florida State.
The Titans jumped to a 3-1 lead at the top of the second, but first baseman Miranda Murch responded immediately, leading off the second with a homerun.
The Saints offense continued building momentum, adding a pair of runs in both the third and fourth innings. Third baseman McKenzie Cox saw the ball well, ending the game with two hits and three runs.
However, Santa Fe ran out of gas when it took the field hours later against Temple. In the 7-1 defeat, starting pitcher Morgyn Stevens allowed six earned on 16 batters faced through three innings.
Despite getting six hits off of pitcher Izzy Garcia, who has all three of the Leopard’s tournament wins, the Saints offense couldn’t bring runners home, leaving eight on base.
Catcher Sydney English’s solo homer in the fourth inning couldn’t propel the Saints to a comeback victory as Garcia closed the door in the final three innings.
