#12 Chipola remains undefeated at NJCAA D1 Softball World Series
The Lady Indians defeated #20 Navarro College, 4-3; face Florida SouthWestern on Thursday at 3:30 PM CDT
YUMA, Ariz. – Someone's Cinderella story had to meet a plot twist when a pair of double-digit seeds met in the third round of the NJCAA Division I Softball World Series.
Fortunately, the #12 Lady Indians (35-19) survived #20 Navarro on (26-26) Wednesday afternoon to keep their hopes for a fairy tale ending alive. Chipola, facing an opponent ranked below them for the first time since their final regular season game on April 29, scored two in the 2nd and two in the 3rd to hand the Bulldogs their first loss of the tournament, 4-3.
Navarro started Wednesday's game on the attack. With one out in the first, sophomore Reagan Hand singled into centerfield and then proceeded to steal second. Another sophomore for the Bulldogs, Leah Perales, also singled into centerfield to put runners on the corners.
With one out and their clean-up batter at the plate, Navarro elected to attempt a double-steal. Perales was caught stealing second base by Keyla Arce-Camacho but Hand narrowly escaped the return throw to the plate to give the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead.
In the second inning, the Lady Indians scored a pair of runs to take the lead. Kamryn Eaton doubled into the left centerfield gap and Hannah Capps followed with a bunt single to give Chipola runners at the corners. After Capps stole second to put both runners in scoring position, Irene Rabasco singled up the middle to score Eaton and Capps.
Kayla Franklin was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the third. With one out, Franklin stole second base and scored on a single by Anyela Gomez-Ruiz, who advanced to second on the throw to the plate. After a ground ball out to the right side by Paris Rodgers moved Gomez-Ruiz to third, Rani Meaux singled up the middle to score what would turn out to be the winning run.
After giving up the run to the Bulldogs in the first, freshman Lauren Grantham was cruising in the circle until the fifth inning when the first batter for Navarro reached on an error. A single and a double pulled the Bulldogs to within one and, with one out, Chipola head coach Kelly Brookins turned to Gomez-Ruiz to quell the rally.
With a runner on second, Gomez-Ruiz got the next batter to hit a fly ball in foul territory which new right fielder Olivia Spooner ran down for the second out. The tying run, however, moved to third and the Bulldogs sent their clean-up hitter, Katelynn Cooper, to the plate. With a full count, Gomez-Ruiz caught Cooper looking for the third strike to preserve Chipola's 4-3 lead.
Gomez-Ruiz retired five of the next six hitters she faced. A one out single in the sixth inning was the only hit she surrendered in the relief appearance.
With two outs in the seventh, the sophomore right-hander picked up her third strikeout but the pitch got away from Chipola catcher, Keyla Arce-Camacho, giving the Bulldogs new life. A pair of walks loaded the bases but the next batter hit the first pitch back to Gomez-Ruiz who fielded the ball cleanly and threw the ball over to Meaux at first for the final out.
Grantham picked up the win to improve to 10-2 on the season. Gomez-Ruiz collected her second save of the season in relief. She has not allowed a run in 9.2 innings pitched at the World Series.
Up Next
#12 Chipola will face a familiar foe with a berth in the winner's bracket finals on the line. The #1 Bucs from Florida SouthWestern and the Lady Indians will square off for the third time this season on Thursday at 3:30 PM CDT. The game can be watched on ESPN+.
Game Notes
- Lauren Grantham is the first Chipola freshman to record double-digit wins in the circle since Landyn McAnnally was 12-3 in 2022, Kelly Brookins' first season as head coach.
- Another freshman, Kamryn Eaton, was 2-2 at the plate for the Lady Indians against Navarro.
- Chipola and Florida SouthWestern have met twice this season with the Bucs coming out on top in both games. The Lady Indians fell to FSW, 7-3, in the FCSAA Championship Game and lost 7-1 earlier this season in Fort Myers.
NJCAA TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
World Series Tournament Bracket
Game Schedule, Results, & Stats
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