POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
BOX SCORE
NCAA TOURNAMENT HOMEPAGE
 
SALEM, Va. – The University of West Florida softball team fell 7-3 to Armstrong State in the opening round of the NCAA Championship on Thursday, dropping to 45-14 on the season.
 
The Argonauts offense was stronger than the statline on Thursday, as the team put together several scoring opportunities against ASU starter Jane Trzaska. Despite tallying just four hits, UWF put runners in scoring position and ran into some bad luck, with Meghan Toney and Tiona Hill squaring up pitches but hitting them right at Pirate defenders in the fourth and sixth innings.
 
Sara Spears led UWF with two hits, including a late two-out double and an infield single. Callan Taylor drove in two runs with her third home run of the season.
 
Some small ball play and heads-up base running from UWF led to a run in the third inning, starting with a hard-hit grounder from Rachel Wright that ASU couldn't handle. Caitlin Steel soon moved her over with a sacrifice bunt, Spears had her infield single and stole second to put two runners in scoring position. A pickoff attempt from the ASU catcher went wide and allowed Wright to come across for West Florida's first run.
 
Taylor added to UWF's offense with a two-run shot in the fourth, scoring Rhiannon Sassman after the sophomore led off the inning with a bunt single. The round-tripper cut the West Florida deficit to 4-3, but Armstrong State would nickel-and-dime starter Becca Taylor and the Argos for three more runs over the final two innings.
 
Taylor was the tough-luck loser for UWF, falling to 27-9 on the year after going five innings and allowing seven runs while striking out four. Sarah Maloney relieved Taylor in the sixth and threw one inning, allowing just one hit in her inning of work.
 
UWF will face 7-seed Southern Indiana in an elimination game at 6:30 pm ET on Friday at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem.