Lady Panthers drop twinbill

By LAUREN WELBORN

News-Sun correspondent

AVON PARK - The South Florida Community College softball team took on visiting College of Central Florida Tuesday to kick off the regular season but fell just short in the opener of the twin bill with a final score of 3-1.

"It's a start," said head coach Carlos Falla. "We made two mistakes that would've kept the game closer.

"We had six freshmen starting and nerves came into play. CCF just came back from a four-win tournament and we were just a little fresh."

Led by starting pitcher Julia Deyoe, the Panthers held down any offensive threats until the top of the third when a well-placed double to deep left field put CCF up 1-0.

The Lady Panthers were quick to respond with a run of their own to settle the score as Breanna Shearin ripped one up the middle to bring Lexi Belardi safely across the plate.

However, CCF took advantage of their last at-bat in the seventh, blasting a home run that would peak their two-run lead.

As the team raked the field and prepared for the second game, Falla said, "Everyone is going to play this game so we can see different combinations and setups and see what works for us."

Not much did in the nightcap, as Central Florida rolled to an 8-0 win, giving the Lady Panthers more work to put in.

South Florida was on the road Thursday at Lake Sumter and return home for a Saturday matinee against Palm Beach State at 1 p.m.