Sharks Take Game 1 of Doubleheader in Thrilling Sophomore Night Walk-Off

Miami Dade celebrated Sophomore Night in dramatic fashion on Saturday, taking Game 1 of their doubleheader against Indian River State College with a come-from-behind 3-2 walk-off win.

The Sharks  entered the bottom of the seventh trailing 2-1 but rallied for two runs to steal the victory and set the tone for the night. Down to their final three outs, Vanessa Rial scored the tying run after Cintia Escalante reached on an error by the Indian River second baseman. Moments later, Carmela Smith sealed the win with a clutch RBI double to the gap in left-center, plating Maria Julia Pedroso and igniting the celebration.

Smith was the offensive catalyst for the Sharks, going 2-for-3 with a double, a stolen base, and the game-winning RBI. Caroline Mito and Pedroso also contributed with hits, while Mito and Escalante each drove in a run.

In the circle, Amanda Handa was masterful, going the distance with a complete-game. She allowed two earned runs, walked six, and struck out four on 115 pitches. Despite a couple of early runs by the Pioneers, Handa settled in and silenced the bats over the final four innings to keep MDC within striking distance.

Indian River jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind RBIs from Braylee Shields and Presley Smith but couldn't hold off the late surge. J'dah Girigorie (28-2) was handed the loss, despite a solid 6.1 innings of work with five strikeouts and no walks.

With the victory, the Sharks continued their impressive run and gave their sophomores a memory they won't forget. Game 2 of the doubleheader followed shortly after.