Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Fla.- The Royals softball team earned the #1 seed in this weekends Sun Conference tournament. The Royals have not disappointed their fans in the first two games of the tournament as they used a last inning walk off to win both games.
    On Thursday, the Royals took on Ave Maria as they defeated USC Beaufort earlier in the day to earn the right to play Warner. Sun Conference pitcher of the year, Chelsie Valentine, got the start on the mound for the Royals and showed some early jitters as she walked the Gyrenes lead off hitter. Ave Maria was able to push a run across to take an early 1-0 lead. The score would remain that way until the fifth when Jessica Adams would single in Caylin Delones to tie the game up at one. Valentine settled down after the first and only allow two hits the rest of the game. In the bottom of the seventh, Paige Davis came to bat with two outs and the winning run on third. Davis would deliver with a clutch single to right to walk off on the Gyrenes and win the conference opener.
    On Friday, the Royals were matched up with Thomas University with a bid to the championship game on the line. This game between the Royals and Nighthawks will go down as a game to remember. Chelsie Valentine would once again the start pitching. Little did she know, she would be locked in a pitchers duel for 12 innings. Thomas struck first in the top of the fourth with a run on a sacrifice fly. The Royals would come back in the bottom of the fifth when Madison Taylor would deliver with a pinch hit RBI double to right center to tie the game up at 1-1. The Royals and Nighthawks would both not score another run for the next seven innings of play. Both teams threatened at times, but both pitchers would pitch their way out of jams. In the ninth, Megan Hammett made what could be called the best defensive play of the tournament when she caught a fly ball and threw out the Thomas runner attempting to score the go ahead run to end the inning. However, in the top of the 12th, the Nighthawks finally got to the Royals as they plated 3 runs to take a 4-1 lead. The Royals never say die attitude kept them in the game and the Royals began their half of the 12th with a Torey Scott walk, Caylin Delones single, and Chantal Crockett walk that loaded the bases. The Royals got their first run on an error by the first baseman on a ball off the bat of Jessica Adams. After a pop out to shortstop, Paige Davis ripped a single to left to score another run and make it 4-3. Tori Johnson then came to the plate and worked a walk that would tie the game up at 4-4. The Royals did not waste any time as Savanna Rumore would hit a sacrifice fly to right center that scored Jessica Adams for the Royalsa 5-4 win and their second walk off in as many days.
    The Royals then sat and watched as the Fire from Southeastern won their final two games of the day to earn their bid into the championship game Saturday. The Royals and Fire will begin play at 12 pm for the conference tournament championship.