ORANGE PARK -Realizing her offense was struggling and in need of a huge play, pitcher Brianna Enter took it into her own hands to help herself and her team out.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, seven outs from being eliminated, Enter stepped in the box and sent the first pitch from Katelyn Wood high over the left field wall and onto the tennis courts giving St. Johns Country Day a 3-2 lead over visiting North Florida Christian.
A pumped up Enter then retired the final six batters in a row on the mound in the Spartans 3-2 come from behind win over the Eagles to advance to the Elite 8.
Her heroics were needed as the Spartans struggled to get hits off Wood, a UNF commit, who allowed only two hits through four innings. Yet something clicked in the fifth.
Lindsey Sabo reached on a fielders choice with one out and lead off batter Maddie Wilkes was hit by a Wood pitch with two outs to set up the dramatic play.
Enter helped her team out on the mound as well striking out ten in the game, including seven of the first 10 batters she faced through three innings.
Their second time through the lineup, NFC (11-9) finally got to Enter as Hayle Turner singled to right, Maddie Mayo reached on an error with two outs and Lauren Chorey, Emma Brice and Maya Powers all delivered RBI singles to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
With the bases loaded still, Enter got out of the jam with her seventh strike out, a play which at the time didn’t seem that big but turned out to be huge.
After getting the lead in the fifth, Enter took the mound full of confidence retiring 9 of the final 10 batters she faced, giving up a single in the fifth.
A NFC fan walking towards the Eagles side of the dugout after the game was heard saying, good luck against Rocky Bayou, you’re going to need it.
We will find out soon as No. 2 ranked St. Johns Country Day (16-3) will travel to Niceville to take on No. 1 ranked Rocky Bayou, a 16-1 winner over University Christian, next Tuesday in the Elite 8. A win would put the Spartans in the Final Four for the first time since 1996.
