Niceville softball falls in 1-5A final

Staff Reports

Niceville had a tough time in the field against Pace in the District 1-5A tournament championship game.

And it reflected on the scoreboard as the Patriots won 12-5 on Friday to claim the title.

"It was just one of those nights," Niceville coach Danny Hensley said after his team committed five errors. "We just didn't field."

The Eagles (21-6) travel to Tallahassee Lincoln on Tuesday in the regional quarterfinals. Pace hosts Mosley on Tuesday in the other regional quarterfinal.

Lincoln is one of the top teams in Class 5A in the state and beat the Eagles in extra innings in the Kissimmee Klassic.

"The good thing is we are in the playoffs," Hensley said. "We have as good a shot as anybody. We just have to play our game."

The trouble started early as Pace took advantage of two Niceville errors and a couple hits to scored five runs in the first inning. The Patriots added five more over the next two innings, increasing their lead to 10-1 after three innings.

"That got us down a bit," Hensley said.

But the Eagles, who were seeded second for the tournament, came back. The Eagles scored three runs in the fifth and another in the sixth, but could get no closer.

"We fought back and scored and I was proud of that," Hensley said. "We didn't quit. I think we'll rebound."

Megan Balding led the Niceville offense, going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Missy Milligan added two hits and scored once, while Marisa Wendt had a hit, a run and drove in one.

Niceville 100 031 0-5 5 5

Pace 514 002 x-12 10 2

W-Orr. L-Jessa Watts