Miami Dade Edges Out Hillsborough in Tight Game 1 of Doubleheader

In a low-scoring duel dominated by stellar pitching, Miami Dade College (27-10, 17-10) came out on top with a narrow 2-0 victory over Hillsborough Community College (3-32, 2-23) in Game 1 of their doubleheader.

All the action came early in the first inning, where Miami Dade capitalized on timely hitting and a costly defensive miscue. Amanda Handa led off the rally with a double and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Dana Piri. Gabriela Luz, who had reached on a single, crossed the plate moments later when Gabriela Trinoski's fly ball was mishandled in center field, giving Miami Dade a 2-0 advantage they wouldn't relinquish.

That early lead proved to be more than enough for Miami Dade ace Carina Amarilla, who was lights out in the circle. The right-hander tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing just two hits while striking out eight and walking one. Amarilla faced only 25 batters and improved her record to 12-4 on the season.

Despite a strong six-inning outing from Hillsborough pitcher Sarrah Trocki—who scattered seven hits and struck out four—it was her team's lack of run support that told the story. The Hawks were held to just two hits, one each by Hailey Margetis and Vanessa Neptune, and never seriously threatened to score.

With the Game 1 win, Miami Dade set the tone for the doubleheader and continued their strong run in conference play.