SARASOTA, FL, November 17—In 2022, the Peaches started their title run with a hard-fought 6-5 extra inning win over the Blue Sox.

In 2023, it started off with more of the same, only this time the Peaches scored six in the top of the eighth to burst open the floodgates in an eventual 11-6 win. Luisa Gauci’s two-run double was the big blow, and gave her a total of three RBI on the day.

The Peaches got on the board early, scoring twice in the top of the first. Jacqui Reynolds’ bases-loaded walk and Meredith McFadden’s steal of home started the scoring. The Comets answered back with one in the bottom half of the inning, scoring an unearned run on a throwing error.

The Peaches made it 4-1 in the top of the second, with Celicia Wilken plating one with an RBI single and Anna Kimbrell coming home on an error.

It appeared that the Peaches were going to run away with it in the top of the fifth inning when they led 5-1 and had two on and one out. Tess Sawkins gave way to Violet Mendez, and Mendez induced two ground balls to Joely Leguizamon at short to end the inning.

The Peaches added to their lead when Gauci singled to left to make it 5-2 in the seventh, and it appeared the game was well in hand with Naomi Ryan on the hill. But Ryan allowed a two-run single to Homa Schweers in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-4, and a diving catch by second baseman Alyssa Zettlemoyer with two outs kept the margin at one.

Mendez stole home to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh, and it appeared the Comets were knocking on the door of a walk-off win with runners at the corners and one out. But London Studer was picked off third base, effectively ending the threat.

Starter Alli Schroder threw four strong innings for the Peaches.