In the biggest game in the four-year history of the program, the University of South Carolina Beaufort broke the game open with an eight-run fourth inning and cruised to an 11-2 win over St. Thomas (Fla.) to win the Hardeeville Bracket of the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round and clinch the school’s first berth in the Avista-NAIA World Series.

The Sand Sharks are the No. 8 seed in the NAIA World Series and will open play against No. 9 seed Rogers State (Okla.) at noon Pacific time (3 p.m. EST) on Friday, May 25.

The Bobcats handed USCB its only loss in the tournament on Thursday’s opening day, but the Sand Sharks (40-17) rebounded to win five consecutive elimination games, including back-to-back wins over St. Thomas. 

The latter wasn’t in doubt after the fourth-inning outburst.

Both teams’ aces came back on three days’ rest to start the finale, and USCB’s Michael Heesch was up to the task. Heesch (9-2) allowed only two unearned runs on five hits over six innings for the win — and fellow senior left-hander Adam Miller returned three days after throwing a complete game to toss three scoreless innings for the save.

St. Thomas ace Danny Sanchez cruised through the first three innings, but he was only able to record one out in the fourth, as USCB’s offense erupted.

Ty Main tripled into the right-field corner to drive in the first run, Conald Mansfield followed with an RBI double, and Gabe Torres singled to score Mansfield. A St. Thomas error allowed two more runs to score, then David O’Neil singled home the sixth run of the inning. Dylan Nasiatka‘s two-run double to right-center capped the big inning.

The Sand Sharks put it away on Brandon Collins‘ three-run home run to right, and after the final out, they dived into a dog pile on the infield grass and drenched first-year coach Bryan Lewallyn with the water bucket. 

Mansfield and Torres each had three hits, an RBI and two runs scored, Nasiatka was 2-for-5 with two RBIs, and Collins was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and scored twice.

The Sand Sharks eliminated each of the other four teams in the bracket and finished with five of the seven home runs hit in the tournament.

USCB is one of two first-time qualifiers for the Avista-NAIA World Series, along with Rogers State, the Sand Sharks’ first-round opponent.

First-team

Infielders: Amanda Ake, Tallahassee; Shelby Knox, Northwest Florida State; Hayley Parker, Chipola; Hilari Hopkins, Gulf Coast State; Sayumi Akamine, Chipola.

Outfielders: Ebony Wright, Chipola; Gwen Jones, Northwest Florida State; Alexis Anderson, Tallahassee; Hilary Chapman, Gulf Coast State.

Catchers: Devin Kochergen, Tallahassee; Stephanie Garrels, Chipola.

At-Large: C.J. Browder, Northwest Florida State; Lindsey Hamlin, Chipola.

Pitchers: Eva Voortman, Chipola; Kristyn Barry, Tallahassee; Emily Smethurst, Tallahassee; Ollivia McLemore, Gulf Coast State; Lindsey Hamlin, Chipola.

Player of the Year: Ebony Wright, Chipola

Pitcher of the Year: Eva Voortman, Chipola

Coach of the Year: Belinda Hendrix, Chipola

Second-team

Infielders: Ashlyn Masters, Northwest Florida State; Dallas Towns, Tallahassee; Freymar Suniaga, Pensacola State; Chelsey Steedley, Chipola; Kelly Hayes, Pensacola State.

Outfielders: Mya Anderson, Chipola; Elizabeth Kelligan, Northwest Florida State; Chandler Seay, Chipola; Kristen Allen, Chipola.

Catchers: Amanda Grimaldo, Gulf Coast State; Amanda VanVraken, Northwest Florida State.

Pitchers: Sarah Steiner, Gulf Coast State; Michelle Phelps, Northwest Florida State; Eidy Tortolero, Pensacola State; Ally Ledenham, Tallahassee.

Honorable Mention

Infielders: Cherise McEnery, Tallahassee; Jasmine Tankersley, Chipola; Megan Oster, Tallahassee; Taylor Nicolosi, Gulf Coast State; Kat Vogler, Gulf Coast State.

Outfielders: London Germ, Northwest Florida State; Shawna Montgomery, Pensacola State.

Catchers: Mykah Nevin, Pensacola State.

Pitcher: Jennifer Bazzel, Pensacola State; Michele Hester, Chipola; Eron Milton, Chipola; Ashley Balentine, Pensacola State.

 Chipola (37-16) didn’t take their foot off the gas in game two on Saturday as they defeated Pensacola (20-27) 9-0 in seven innings. Starting pitcher and University of Central Florida signee, Danny Davis took the loss for the Pirates after 2 2/3 innings of work. The Pirates were led offensively by freshman, Brett Casteel who had a 2-3 day at the plate. With the loss the Pirates end their season with a 20-27 record.

Pensacola State College Selects

New Head Women’s Basketball Coach

Pensacola State College is pleased to announce Leah Drury as the new head women’s basketball coach, effective Monday April 30.

Drury returns to the Pensacola State women’s basketball program bringing an abundance of knowledge and experience from the University of Alabama. An Alabama alum, Drury spent two years as an assistant coach for the Crimson Tide. Before returning to her alma mater, she spent a year as an assistant coach at Pensacola State – helping the Pirates to a 24-6 season. Prior to her stint with the Pirates, Drury served as a graduate assistant for two seasons at Alabama where she earned her master’s degree in sports management.  

“We are pleased to get someone of Leah’s caliber,” says Pensacola State Athletic Director Bill Hamilton. “Not only does she have the pedigree for the job, she has the drive and energy to keep the Lady Pirates among the nation’s elite. Her priorities and plan align perfectly with the mission of the college and goals of this department, and her personality and exuberance is refreshing. We know how lucky we got with the hiring of Coach Drury.”

Drury replaces Coach Chanda Rigby who recently accepted the head coaching position at Troy University. Rigby spent seven years as the Lady Pirates head coach. In the last two years, she led the program to a 64-6 record – earning consecutive state titles and third-place finishes at the NJCAA National Tournament. Rigby helped the student athletes achieve success on and off the court. Most of her players moved on to graduate and have successful careers at the Division I level.

Pensacola State is pleased to announce the hiring of Drury and looks forward to her maintaining the level of excellence the program has achieved.

Jeff Davis Community College didn’t put up much of a fight on Friday, as Pensacola State cruised to an  8-1 win in seven innings in Pensacola. The Pirates scored three runs in the fourth on a two-run single by Courtney Brannon and an RBI single by Morgan Rich. Katie Free boosted her batting average thanks to a perfect 3-3 game at the plate to pace the Pirates. She singled in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. Eidy Tortolero earned the win allowing one run over five innings. Tortolero struck out three, walked five and surrendered three hits. The game was never in doubt after the second, as the Pirates scored one run on an error. They increased their lead with two runs in the third. Kay Kay Grocholl kicked things off with a single, scoring Shawna Montgomery. Morgan Rich followed that up with a single, plating Free.  

Pensacola State’s offense too much for Jefferson Davis Community College in 10-0 victory

Pensacola State jumped out to an early lead on Jeff Davis and captured a 10-0 victory on Friday in Pensacola.  The game was decided quickly as the Pirates exerted its will early with six runs in the first three innings. An error, an RBI single by Katie Free, and a two-run single by Kay Kay Grocholl in the first inning and a two-run home run by Freymar Suniaga during the second inning fueled the Pensacola State offense early. Suniaga racked up two RBIs on two hits for the Pirates. Jennifer Bazzel kept Jeff Davis off the scoreboard for all five innings she was on the rubber. She pitched a shutout, allowing no runs on two hits while striking out seven. The Pirates added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth.

The Pirates ended their season on a four game winning streak and sent the sophomores out with a bang! The Pirates look forward to next year and seeing more smiling faces in the stands!

Tallahassee (30-16) won the season series, three games to two, but Saturday’s loss cost the Eagles a chance to pull within one game in the loss column with second-place Northwest Florida State College (10-6), who lost a second straight game to Chipola College on Saturday. The Eagles dropped to 6-8 in PC play with six games remaining and a two-game set against first-place Chipola on the horizon.

After racking up 14 hits in Friday’s 10-0 win, the Eagles were limited to six on Saturday by starter and winner Danny Davis and reliever Jake Hansen.

With the game tied at 1-all, Pensacola State scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The Pirates put the game away with a pair of runs in the eighth.

Daniel VanSickle took the loss for Tallahassee. He allowed three runs on six hits in five innings.

Nick Graganella was 2-for-4, the only Tallahassee player with more than one hit. Michael Arencibia was 1-for-4 and drove in the Eagles’ lone run.

The Pensacola State Lady Pirates are on pace to reload for next year’s team. Coach Kayla Ard signed Taron Bright of Pace High School April 11, to get the Lady Pirates off to a good start. Taron is a 6’3 post player that will add depth to the Lady Pirates roster. Coach Ard spoke highly of Taron saying “She is a beast in the weight room which is always good to have in a post player. She has a great GPA, she is smart, talented, and driven. I can’t wait to see her in action in a Pensacola State jersey next year.”