Late rally sends Tallahassee past SCF at FCSAA Tournament

VERO BEACH, Fla. (May 2, 2015) – FCSAA No. 7 Tallahassee Community College overcame a 4-0 deficit to defeat No. 6 State College of Florida, 5-4, in loser's bracket play on Saturday afternoon at the NJCAA District/FCSAA State Tournament at Historic Dodgertown. 

The Eagles (32-16) have won three straight elimination games since Friday's opening round loss to top-ranked College of Central Florida and gets a rematch with the Patriots later on Saturday evening. Central Florida was bitten by the upset bug earlier Saturday afternoon, falling to Chipola College in winner's bracket play. 

Things were beginning to look bleak for Tallahassee after the Manatees scored two runs in the top of the fifth, and knocking out starting pitcher Alexandra Cook in the process, to grab a 4-0 lead. Offensively, the Eagles managed only one hit through 4.2 innings off Manatees starter and eventual losing pitcher Devon Morrision – a leadoff single by Danielle Patterson in the first – and were facing a two-out, nobody on scenario in the fifth. 

But Brooke Marendino singled, stole second then moved to third on Patterson's two-out hit. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Taesha DuBoise blooped Morrison's payoff pitch over the first baseman's head to score both runners and cut the Eagles' deficit in half. 

Brianna Tourtillott followed with a single then Kiara Johnson, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the fourth, roped a game-tying double to left centerfield, scoring DuBoise and Tourtillott. 

Tallahassee completed the comeback in the sixth. 

Leadoff hitter Jaylene Pryor was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on Danielle Ekberg's perfectly-executed sac-bunt. Two batters later, Marendino beat out a broken bat, infield single to plate Pryor with what proved to be the winning run. 

Gabrielle Decker, who came on for Cook in the fifth, pitched the final 2.1 innings and earned the win. State College of Florida put the tying and go-ahead runs on the corners with two outs in the seventh but a ground out ended the game and advanced the Eagles in the 16-team tournament, where they are now one of six teams remaining in contention for the championship. 

Patterson continued her strong postseason play, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. DuBoise was 1-for-3 with a run scored and two runs driven in. Johnson was 1-for-1 with two RBIs. Marendino went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.