Florida SouthWestern State College’s softball team finished as national runners-up after a 4-1 loss to Northwest Florida State in Saturday’s NJCAA World Series championship.
The Buccaneers (56-7) put runners in scoring position in the first two innings and loaded the bases in the third but couldn’t capitalize. Defensive errors in the bottom of the third allowed the Raiders to score four unearned runs, giving them the lead for good.
Skylar Brennan doubled in Noelani Livingstone in the fifth to cut the deficit to 4-1, but FSW’s offense couldn’t rally. Lizzy Kwakernaak and Leah Meyer combined to hold the Raiders to five hits, while the Bucs outhit Northwest Florida 9-5 and left nine runners on base.
Brennan went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Livingstone added a hit and a run. Five Buccaneers were named to the all-tournament team, including Brennan, Livingstone, Kwakernaak, Faith Wharton and Karolina Dvorakova.
It was a rematch from the 2023 national championship game, this time with Northwest Florida State (61-4) claiming its first national title.