Lady Warriors Split Florida Twin-Bill

The Nelson Lady Warriors softball team (11-15) continued their competitive run at the Space Coast Spring Games in Viera, FL, on Thursday, splitting another doubleheader: beginning with a commanding 6-0 shutout victory over the Defiance Yellowjackets in Game 1, followed by a hard-fought 9-4 loss to the Madonna Crusaders in Game 2.

Game 1: Nelson 6, Defiance 0
The Warriors jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, securing a complete-game shutout behind strong pitching and timely hitting. Nelson scored twice in the bottom of the first with two outs when Briyanei Celaya led off with a single then came around to score on a Maritza Rodriguez single to right field. Up next was Emily Quigg who reached on a first-base error which allowed Estevannie Rojas to score, pushing the lead to 2-0. In the bottom of the second, the Warriors loaded the bases for big bopper Charli York. Likely wary of York breaking the game open with one swing, the Yellowjackets' starter threw too far inside, plunking York and forcing in Celaya for a 3-0 advantage.

The offense exploded again in the bottom of the sixth with the bases loaded once more. With York again at the dish, she grounded toward first, but the Defiance defender dropped the ball, allowing Kiley Hernandez to score. Rodriguez then crushed a 0-1 pitch to deep center field, narrowly missing a home run but still driving in York and Rojas to break the game wide open at 6-0.

In the circle, the Warriors used a three-pitcher combination to secure the shutout, with none allowing more than two hits. Starter Yanelyssia Chavez earned special recognition, throwing the first two innings and allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out three.

Game 2: Madonna 9, Nelson 4
The second game was a back-and-forth battle that stayed close until late, when Madonna pulled away. Each team scored once in the first inning, with a Maritza Rodriguez double scoring Briyanei Celaya to tie the match at 1 apiece. In the third, Nelson took the lead for the first time when Estevannie Rojas doubled in Charli York and Kiley Hernandez for a 3-1 advantage. Madonna tied the game with two runs in the top of the fourth, but the Warriors answered immediately in the bottom half when Celaya drove in Araeya Cosay to reclaim a 4-3 edge.

From there, the Crusaders heated up, scoring four runs in the top of the fifth (aided by a Nelson error) to take a 7-4 lead. Uncharacteristically, Nelson went down 1-2-3 in the both the bottom of the sixth and seventh, while Madonna added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh, a towering home run which scored both batter and the runner preceding, who led off the inning with a double, to pull away for the 9-4 final.

Despite the split record, there were several standout performances at the plate across the doubleheader, including:

• Maritza Rodriguez: 3-for-7, 4 RBI (continuing her torrid Florida trip)
• Briyanei Celaya: 4-for-8, 1 RBI
• Charli York: 2-for-6, 2 RBI
• Estevannie Rojas: 2-for-5, 2 RBI

See the Nelson Warriors' softball page for their upcoming schedule.

Do not forget to follow Nelson Athletics on X at @NelsonWarriors and Instagram at @nelsonwarriors.athletics.