Over the last few weeks, we have taken looks back at the wild postseason runs that the UWF softball team took in 2017 and 2019. The games that have been recapped have often included come-from-behind wins, with late, unlikely rallies, and no game has been a better example than the 2017 Super Regional finale against Lee.
 
The 10th-ranked Argonauts took a 7-6 win over the Lady Flames, with a seven-run sixth inning propelling them to victory and a spot in the NCAA Championship in Salem, Virginia. It would be West Florida's first trip to the NCAA Championship since 2003.
 
Lee was already leading 4-0 when the Argos came up to bat in the top of the sixth inning, and Lady Flames starter Taylor Moran had a no-hitter going against UWF. Then West Florida scored six runs before recording an out in the inning, starting with a first-pitch Caitlin Steel single to center field.
 
"It was just going to take that one person to have a good at-bat and break it open," head coach Melissa Paul said post-game. "It just took one hitter to start it, and Caitlin got us going and showed that we could do it."
 
Sara Spears followed with a single, Jacey Castro reached on an error, and Meghan Toney singled up the middle to score the first two runs of the inning. After an RBI single from Rhiannon Sassman and a two-run triple from Baleigh Boltz, West Florida was ahead 6-4, and Spears hit a grounder that turned into a Lee error to score Rachel Wright.
 
"It was a little nerve-wracking at first, but our time was coming," Toney said. "We just capitalized in that inning and it worked for us. When I was coming up for that at-bat, I was just thinking to hit it on the ground so I could bring our runners in. Today it was me, tomorrow, even going to the World Series, it could be someone else."


Sarah Maloney earned the win with five solid innings in the circle, and Becca Taylor entered the game in the bottom of the sixth to finish off a two-inning save. Lee picked up two runs in the sixth, but Taylor retired the middle of the Lee order in the seventh to finish off the win.
 
The win was UWF's 45th of the year – a mark the Argonauts had not hit since 2005.