Thursday night was an emotional one for Columbia (Lake City) softball coach Joe Saucier.
His daughter, Reagan, is a senior for Santa Fe (Alachua). She was one of four Raiders honored before the game as part of Senior Night.
“I ugly cried during Senior Night, that kid has worked her tail off,” said Coach Saucier, who got emotional again after the game. “That’s my kid.”
It was bittersweet for Joe Saucier as Columbia defeated Santa Fe, 2-0, in eight innings at Loretta Shane Field.
The game was a pitchers’ duel between Columbia freshman Ryleigh Stone and Santa Fe freshman Rylee Swilley.
“She normally throws a screwball,” Joe Saucier said of Stone. “That was one of her strikeout pitches. It was hurting her knee. She went and learned on Monday how to throw a drop ball and absolutely ate their lunch with it tonight.”
Stone only allowed three hits through regulation, but the Raiders (19-3) still had their opportunities.
Santa Fe, which is ranked No. 2 in Class 3A and 9th overall in Florida, got a leadoff single from junior Maren Hornsby in the bottom of the first inning. She went from first to third on a groundout but with two outs she was left stranded after junior catcher Ainslea Kelsoe flew out to center field.
After Swilley struck out to begin the second inning, senior Chloe Cason was hit by a pitch and went to third on a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt by Saucier.
However, senior Lilly Ball struck out to end the inning, which was one of five on the night for Stone.
The Raiders had a chance to win it in regulation.
Swilley, who was 0-for-3, struck out to begin the inning and Cason singled to right center field.
Cason advanced to second on a wild pitch but on a ground ball to third by Saucier, Cason held up initially before taking off for third after the putout at first base and she was thrown out at third base for an inning ending double play.
Santa Fe also left the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning.
“Well, at the end of the day we left too many people on base,” said Santa Fe coach Gene Findley. “I mean, you can’t leave seven, eight people on base and not score a run.”
Meanwhile, Swilley was in control for most of the night.
She struck out four in a row spanning the first two innings, finishing with eight strikeouts and only one walk, and she retired 14 in a row heading into the final inning.
“She pitched well enough to win,” Findley said. “She kept her pitch count down. It was a good game for her on the mound.”
With the game scoreless at the end of regulation, the “Texas Tiebreaker” was used, which puts a runner on second base to start each inning.
Columbia (20-3), which is ranked No. 2 in Class 4A and 11th overall in Florida, put Marlee Hunt on second base and catcher Emily Delgado grounded to shortstop. However, Hornsby’s throw was in the dirt and Hunt was safe on the fielder’s choice.
Hunt and Delgado each scored on a fielder’s choice, including a close play at the plate.
Stone then worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth inning to help the Tigers split the 2-game series, including handing the Raiders their first shutout of the season.
“That’s one of the best hitting teams in the state,” Joe Saucier said. “I don’t know what the box score is, but to keep them scoreless…I know my daughter is over there. I know it was her senior night. I had to do it to her, but it’s just a great win for these girls.”
It’s a friendly father-daughter rivalry, but after a 13-2 Santa Fe victory on March 3, and a wild 13-11 Santa Fe win last year in Lake City, Joe Saucier finally got him one.
“She got me the first three times,” he said. “I’m 1-3 against her.”
Columbia is 17-1 since the loss at home to the Raiders. Stone said the defeat lit a fire for the Tigers.
“It sure did,” she said. “We talk about it every day in practice.”
They’re certainly getting hot at the right time of the year.