PENSACOLA, Fla. – For the second time in a week, University of West Florida junior Tiona Hill used late-inning heroics to keep No. 10 UWF's season alive. On Saturday, Hill came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the seventh, and she delivered a sharp single up the middle to score Jacey Castro and Meghan Toney, giving UWF a 7-6 win over Valdosta State to advance to the first Super Regional in program history.
 
Hill's hit was her team-high sixth of the year with the bases loaded, and it follows her walkoff single against Shorter in the Gulf South Conference Tournament last Saturday.
 
UWF's victory was its 43rd of the year, tying the team's most since 2009, the Argonauts' 85 wins over the last two seasons are the most for the program since 2005-06.
 
VSU jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first, but West Florida responded with a leadoff home run from Jacey Castro and an RBI single to center field from Baleigh Boltz that scored Toney, evening the score at 2-2. The homer was Castro's second leadoff shot of the season, and it marked the first of her four hits on the day.
 
The Lady Blazers picked up two hits in the second, but senior starter Becca Taylor struck out VSU cleanup hitter Brandy Morgan to end the threat, and she blew by the Lady Blazers in the third, retiring all the batters in order.
 
West Florida used that momentum to score twice in the bottom half of the third. Castro led off the inning with a hard-hit single to left field, Toney reached on a fielder's choice that also advanced Castro to second, and Rhiannon Sassman put down the first of her two bunt singles on the day. That loaded the bases from Boltz, who dropped a single in front of center fielder Taylor Hartenbach to score Castro and put West Florida ahead 3-2.
 
Hill then snagged her first RBI of the afternoon, with a grounder to second base that brought in Toney, stretching UWF's lead to 4-2. Hill finished the day with three runs driven in, marking the second time this year that she has hit that mark.
 
It looked like Valdosta State would threaten in the fourth when Jessica Mohl hit a two-out single and brought up All-South Region third baseman Chelsea Canara. Canara lifted a 2-2 pitch from Taylor into foul territory behind the plate, where Caitlin Steel ranged back and made a catch against the net to end the threat, sending UWF to the bottom of the fourth with a 4-2 lead.
 
Sara Spears led off the bottom half with a walk, and Castro came through with a double down the left field line to put UWF up 5-2. That run would be crucial, as Morgan and Hartenbach hit home runs in the fifth that would tie the game at 5-5.
 
The real drama started in the seventh, when Morgan led off the top of the inning with her second home run of the day and her team-high 14th of the year, putting the Lady Blazers ahead 6-5.
 
The Argonauts had no trouble defending their home field, however. Castro led off the inning with a single, Meghan Toney put down a bunt and reached on an error from Canara, and Sassman put down a bunt single to load the bases for the middle of the UWF order.
 
With one away, Hill crushed a pitch from Kathryn Carter back up the middle. Castro scored easily, and Hartenbach's throw from center field had no chance to catch Toney, who slid in safely with the game-winning run.
 
Taylor went the distance in the circle for the 18th time this year and earned her South Region-best 26th win of the season. The victory all but secured Taylor holding the GSC wins title, making her the first UWF pitcher since 2005 to do so.
 
No. 10 West Florida will host Lee in the first Super Regional in program history next Thursday and Friday, May 18-19, in a best-of-three series.