Softball team in final eight at national tournament

The Eastern Florida State College softball team is in the final eight at the NJCAA Division I World Series in Oxford, Alabama.

After falling short in a seventh-inning rally against No. 1 seed Florida Southwestern in the first game of the day, the Titans rebounded to post a 5-0 win against McCook Community College to move on in the tournament.

Eastern Florida State College got on the board in the top of the first inning as Jaelynne Whipple hit a home run over the center field wall to give the Titans a 3-0 lead. Her seventh home run of the year scored both Aracelis Jimenez and Avery Velazquez.

Avery Velazquez made it 4-0 with an RBI single in the second inning, scoring Brooklyn Scott.

Kerissa Howell singled to score Whipple to make it 5-0 in the fifth inning.

Avery Velazquez allowed just two hits over seven innings and struck out five to pick up the win.

Whipple went 3-for-3 with the home run and two doubles while Scott had two hits. The Titans finished with 10 hits.

Eastern Florida State College will continue its run for a championship on Friday when they will play Santa Fe College at 12:15 p.m. at Jacksonville State University. The Titans have played Santa Fe College five times this season and has won the past two meetings, including a 8-0 win at the FCSAA D1 Softball Championships last week.

If the Titans win that game, they will play again at 2:30 p.m.