The River Opens Season with Doubleheader Sweep
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Indian River State College | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 5 |
|
South Florida State College | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Indian River State College | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 20 | 1 |
|
South Florida State College | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 2 |
AVON PARK, FL - Indian River Softball opened the 2026 season in strong fashion on Wednesday evening, earning its first two wins of the year with an 11–7 and 17–8 doubleheader sweep over South Florida State College.
The River started opening day with an 11–7 victory, led by a big performance from Alvey, who collected three hits in four at-bats. She doubled in the first inning, homered to right field in the fifth, and added a single in the seventh. Indian River jumped out early when Alvey doubled and Loreto singled in the first inning, each driving in a run.
After South Florida State took a 5–2 lead in the fourth, The River answered in the fifth as Piar doubled and Alvey launched a two-run home run to regain the lead. The Panthers later tied the game at seven in the sixth, but Indian River responded in the seventh. Loreto singled in the go-ahead run before Gendron followed with a three-run home run to right field to secure the win.
Wilkinson earned the victory, allowing five hits and four runs (zero earned) over six innings while striking out four. Gomez added one inning of shutout relief. Indian River totaled 12 hits, with Gendron and Alvey each driving in three runs. Piar and Loreto recorded multiple hits, while The River stole five bases.
Indian River carried that momentum into the second contest, earning a 17–8 win behind a four-RBI performance from Piar. She singled in two runs in the second inning and added a two-run home run to center field in the fourth. The River scored in the first on an error and continued to build its lead, highlighted by a seven-run fourth inning.
Alvey added a solo home run, while Smith, Loreto, Johnson, and Gendron contributed key hits during the offensive surge. South Florida State scored in the fourth and fifth innings, but the early advantage proved too much to overcome.
Eekhoff earned the win in the circle, throwing four scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. McDonald and Gomez appeared in relief. Indian River finished the game with 20 hits, as Piar, Gendron, Smith, and Alvey each recorded three hits. Shields and Johnson added multiple hits, and The River stole seven bases.
Indian River Softball will travel to Madeira Beach on Friday and Saturday for the JUCO Kickoff Classic.
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