Oxford, AL

#11 Sante Fe (46-16, 28-12, 1-1) faced #14 Gaston College (62-6, 23-1, 2-2) in an elimination game in the NJCAA DI Softball World Series in Oxford, Alabama held at Choccolocco Park. 

The Saints and Rhinos have never faced each other as they both come into the game on the verge of elimination. The Saints dropped their first game of the world series 4-2 to #6 Odessa College on Tuesday which forced them into the losers bracket. Gaston College won their first round matchup vs #19 Wabash Valley College 3-1 but dropped their second round game vs #3 Northeast Alabama 8-0 in 5 innings. The Rhinos then bounced back the same day and beat #20 Dodge City 7-6 in an elimination game Tuesday night to keep their world series hopes alive. 

After heavy rains forced a lengthy weather delay, Santa Fe and Gaston finally took the field at 9:30pm. Santa Fe was the designated away team, this time playing on the Signature Field at Choccolocco Park after an 8 hour rain delay. 

The Saints went down in order in the top of the first. Mancillas kept the game knotted at 0-0 after she struck out two in the first inning. 

Haylee McCrea doubled to the base of the wall in left center field but was stranded at second keeping the Saints scoreless. 

Gaston plates one in the second inning to take the 1-0 lead after a double to straightaway center puts a runner into scoring position and a misplayed ball to the infield with two outs brings that runner home. 

Camryn VanGalder puts the leadoff aboard as McKenzie Cox also singles to put two Saints on board in the third but they are stranded.

The Santa Fe defense holds strong in the bottom of the third to keep the Rhinos lead to 1 as they look to break the game open with the bats. 

Haylee McCrea walks in the top of the fourth as Ellie Frierson doubles to the top of the wall to move both runners into scoring position. Rylie Blankenship comes through and scores both with a double to left to give the Saints the 2-1 lead. 

The Saints escape with the lead after Grizzard dives up the middle and beats the runner with her glove. 

The Saints are sent down in order in the 5th frame as Gaston gets a couple runners on and scores on a squeeze play to tie the game at two. The Saints escape the threat with a 5-2-6 double play as Cox fields a bunt, cuts the runner off at home as Sydney English runs her to third and flips it to Tegan Grizzard who tags the lead runner who then turns around to tag the trailing runner trying to drive back into third for the inning ending double play. 

An Ellie Frierson single puts another runner on but she is stranded as the Saints remain tied. 

Gaston responds and takes the lead after a double down the left field line reaches the fence and scores the runner from first. The Saints limit the damage to just one as they enter the 7th inning needing to put one across to keep their NJCAA hopes alive. 

Santa Fe keeps Gaston scoreless in the 7th frame to push the game to an 8th inning in Oxford, Alabama. 

Santa Fe erupted for three runs in the 8th after McKenna O'Sullivan reached on a throwing error and McCrea bunted her over to second base to put one in scoring position. Grizzard breaks the tie with a single to left that scores Pierce to put the Saints in front 4-3. Rylie Blankenship reaches on an error that ends up scoring Grizzard before VanGalder doubles all the way to the wall to score Blankenship from first to bring the lead to 6-3. All three runs came with two outs. 

Gaston loads the bases in the bottom of the 8th with two outs but the Saints are able to fight through it to secure their first win of the NJCAA DI Softball World Series since 2013!

The Saints return back to Choccolocco Park for a 1:30pm CT game vs the loser of Seminole State (Oklahoma) and Temple College on Field 2 who will play earlier in the day at 9:00am.