CLEARWATER, Fla. - Indian River State College won its first FCSAA Softball Championship in almost two decades, knocking off Northwest Florida State College, 5-0, on Friday afternoon.

One day after downing No. 2 seed and three-time defending national champion Florida SouthWestern State College, the No. 3 seed Pioneers toppled the tournament's top-seed. 

The win gave Indian River State its first FCSAA Softball Championship since 2005 and, as the NJCAA South Atlantic District A Champion, its first trip to the NJCAA Division I Softball Championship since 2006. 

Indian River State broke a scoreless tie in fourth on Ciara Gendron's RBI-single up the middle. Maddox Thomas singled home two runs in the fifth to push the lead to 3-0. In the sixth, after an RBI-groudout made the score 4-0, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Adrianna Portanova singled to center to finish the scoring. 

J'dah Girigorie (32-6), the Tournament's Most Outstanding Pitcher, tossed 5.2 innings of two-hit ball for the win. She walked only two and struck out seven, outdueling FCSAA Pitcher of the Year, Cailyn Heyl, who suffered her first loss of the season (32-1).

In addition to Portanova and Girigorie, Thomas and Presley Smith represented Indian River State on the All-Tournament Team. 

The Pioneers' Dale Atkinson was named FCSAA Coach of the Year.

Raiders bounce back to win District Championship

The loss didn't eliminate Northwest Florida State from NJCAA Tournament content. The Raiders automatically moved into Saturday's NJCAA South Atlantic District B Championship Game, where it faced upstart Eastern Florida State College, who upset Florida SouthWestern, 12-11 in eight innings, in the loser's bracket semifinal. 

The Titans scored two runs in the second and carried the 2-0 lead to the bottom of the fourth before the Raiders found their groove. 

Autumn Vessier's grand slam broke a 2-all tie and highlighted a seven-run frame. She added a two-run shot an inning later to cap the scoring. 

Vessier was named to the All-Tournament Team along with Heyl and teammate Britt Bourgoyne. 

Eastern Florida State's Kyla Leppin, McKenzie Jewell and Jenna Borkey were named to the team as well. 

Other members of the All-Tournament team included: Hailey Scott, Central Florida; Rachael Lee, Gulf Coast State; Ella Moore, Florida SouthWestern; Emily Allegood, Florida SouthWestern and Skylar Brennan, Florida SouthWestern.