It’s not uncommon to have a parent coach his or her son or daughter.

But this past Tuesday, first-year Columbia (Lake City) softball coach Joe Saucier coached against his daughter, Reagan, who plays for Santa Fe (Alachua).

“This is the first time I have head coached and not had her in the dugout with me, so it will be a fun one,” Joe said leading up to the game. “The trash talking has already started.”

Coach Saucier, who had six of his travel ball girls in the lineup, including four who played for Santa Fe, said he had butterflies on game day.

His daughter even said the game was “surreal.”

“It’s very weird,” Reagan said. “I played with my dad since I was very little, so this was like the first game that we’ve ever been on different teams.”

Santa Fe entered the game ranked No. 3 in Class 3A, while Columbia was ranked sixth in the state in Class 4A in the latest FHSAA rankings.

“Last night (Monday) my sister said she didn’t get off work until 6 and I was like, ‘Well you better hurry up because it’s going to be a run-rule,’ but it was a closer game than I thought it was going to be,” Reagan said. “We came out swinging but so did they.”

The game ended up being a shootout and the visiting Raiders (13-1) rallied for three runs in the sixth inning to beat the Tigers, 13-11, in a matchup of top 10 teams.

“I didn’t know if I wanted to win or if I wanted him to win, but obviously I wanted to win just so I can keep the trash talking going at home,” Reagan said.

Reagan, who is a junior, finished 1-for-2 with a run scored.

“She’s a tough out,” Joe said while showing emotion. “I told Coach Gene (Findley) I didn’t want to see her again. The kid has been doubted her whole life because of her size (5’1). When she gets an opportunity all she does is perform. She needs more of those opportunities. The bottom half of their order is why they won that game. All of those girls are doubted, they don’t get as much playing time sometimes as they are.”

Reagan walked her first time up, grounded out to second in the fourth inning and was hit by a pitch later in the inning when the Raiders batted around.

“The first at bat was a little weird but once we went ahead and hit her and got her on base that third time we settled in a little bit,” Joe joked. “That ball was supposed to be outside but that was our pitching (tonight). We were missing by 15-16 inches. That was supposed to be an outside fastball. I tried to get her to chase outside and ground it out and we hit her in the knee cap.”

Trailing 11-10 in the top of the sixth inning, Reagan singled to right field with one out to start the rally.

“She’s not going to chase,” Joe said. “I couldn’t get her to chase a ball up. I couldn’t get her to chase a ball down. We had to throw it over the plate. The zone, I don’t know what the hell that was, it’s like a donut hole back there and we couldn’t throw a strike to save our life. That’s what she does (1-for-2). I knew it.”

Raegan produced under pressure.

“He knows what I can hit better than I do, to be honest,” she said. “It was hard, but I got on.”

Raegan scored the tying run when senior center fielder J’lyn Guyden doubled with the bases loaded.

“It was kind of interesting,” said Santa Fe coach Gene Findley. “Reagan was wound up in the dugout. It was good, and then Joe on the other side was also. And when Reagan was at bat he was like, ‘Oh, what do I do here,’ but it was good fun. They’re good people.”

The trash talking will continue for at least another year, but dad may get the chance to have the last word.

“It’s kind of interesting, we don’t know when the date will be, but I talked to Coach Gene already and next year we’ll be at their senior night, so I’ll be able to participate in their senior night, so it will be fun,” Joe said.