Sophomore Jessica Knight and Miranda Anderson hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie and launch a celebration that provided a cathartic final act to a frustrating season. Knight, the dangerous power hitter who doubles as the team's pitching ace, retired the Saints without incident in the seventh to finish off a complete-game victory.
Trailing 2-1 entering the fifth inning, a Patriots team determined to end its season on a positive note manufactured the tying run. Sophomore Megan David delivered the timely hit, sending a bloop single to left that plated Anderson from second base.
Kasie Cheney led off the sixth with a single, and she advanced to third on consecutive sacrifice bunts. But the sputtering rally received a jolt when Knight turned on the first pitch she saw and smashed it well over the fence in left-centerfield, allowing the Patriots' versatile leader to circle the bases and soak in the cheers reigning down from the fans, family, friends and teammates gathered for the occasion. The euphoria only grew when Anderson, the team's freshman power-hitting phenom, knocked a nearly-identical home run to cap the game-winning 2-out outburst.
The Patriots lost the second game of the doubleheader 13-2 as Anderson added her second home run of the afternoon.
CF (15-42, 3-19 MFC) hosts St. Johns River on Monday in a makeup of a doubleheader postponed by weather.
