Miami Dade Drops Tournament Opener to Santa Fe

Clearwater, FL - Miami Dade's run through the winners bracket at the FCSAA Division I Softball Championship came to an early halt Thursday afternoon as the Sharks fell to Santa Fe College, 5-1, moving into the elimination bracket.

Santa Fe capitalized on a series of defensive miscues in the middle innings to build a five-run advantage, while Miami Dade was unable to generate the timely hit needed to climb back into the game despite putting runners on throughout the afternoon.

The Saints struck first in the second inning after an RBI single from Molly Bender brought home the opening run before another scored on an outfield error to make it 2-0. Santa Fe added three more runs in the third, taking advantage of two additional Shark errors to stretch the lead to 5-0.

Miami Dade starter Amanda Handa allowed just two earned runs across 3.1 innings despite the five-run deficit, striking out three while throwing 64 strikes in 97 pitches. Ava Salvino provided strong relief work, holding Santa Fe hitless over the final 2.2 innings to keep the Sharks within striking distance.

Offensively, Miami Dade collected five hits on the afternoon, led by a two-hit performance from Sofia Reyes, who also added a stolen base. Caroline Mito, Makayla Deleon, and Maria Julia Pedroso each recorded a hit as well.

The Sharks finally broke through in the fifth inning when Jessica Ortiz came around to score on a passed ball after Cate Haggerty and Caroline Mito reached safely, trimming the deficit to 5-1. Miami Dade continued to pressure late, drawing four walks in the contest, but could not complete the comeback.

Santa Fe pitchers Belle Mancillas and Morgyn Stevens combined to limit the Sharks to five hits while working around multiple baserunners.

With the loss, Miami Dade now shifts into the losers bracket, where the Sharks will look to keep their postseason run alive in the next round of the FCSAA Division I Softball Championship.