DOTHAN, Alabama - The 19th-ranked College of Southern Idaho went toe-to-toe with the best in the country and competed to the end, falling to #2 Florida Southwestern State 7-5 and #6 Central Florida 6-5 on a walk-off hit Saturday in the Chipola College Tournament.
In Saturday's first game, CSI gave up three unearned runs in the first inning and four total which proved to be the difference. Siera Horton came in against the potent office in the third and shut them down. She pitched 4.0 innings of two-hit ball and gave up no runs two hits with two strikeouts.
At the plate, Payton Hammond went 2-for-4 with a home run and one RBI. Carley Croshaw was 2-for-3 with one RBI and Sid Eyre was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Miranda Page, Nikki Zielinski, Kylie Baumert and Kalena Shepherd each added a hit.
Against Central Florida, Golden Eagle pitcher Kenzie Waters kept them off balance through five innings, giving up three earned runs with four strikeouts. With the score tied at 5 in the seventh, Central Florida rallied for the walk-off hit to win it.
Hammond was 2-for-4 with two doubles and Miranda Page was 2-for-4 as well. Baumert and Shepherd posted the only other hits in the game for CSI.
The Golden Eagles travel to College of Idaho Saturday for a doubleheader.