ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Apr. 2, 2010) - The Nova Southeastern softball team completed the sweep over the Eckerd Tritons Friday in St. Petersburg. The Sharks (33-12, 11-4 SSC) took the first game, 6-4 and dominated the Tritons (10-26, 2-10 SSC) in the second game, 12-1.
Dani Caron (Sr., Wellington, Fla.) had a phenomenal day at the plate and in the circle. Offensively, Caron went 7-for-7 over two games with a walk, three runs, and two RBI.
In the circle, Caron earned a save in the first game and a win in the second game. Over a combined eight innings pitched, Caron allowed six hits, one earned run, and struck out nine batters. She improved her record to 13-3 overall with one save.
Lauren Lopez (Sr., Miami, Fla.) started the first game off with a home run over the left field fence, keeping the Sharks' first inning scoring streak alive at five in a row. It was Lopez's team-high ninth home run of the season and her 27th RBI. The Tritons scored their first run of the series in the bottom of the first but the Sharks pushed their lead to five with runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
The Sharks had their biggest inning of the game in the fourth, scoring three runs. Caron led off the side with an infield single and scored after Patty Rivero's (Sr., Miami, Fla.) bunt single. Rachel Talenfeld (Jr., Fort Lauderdale) hit a RBI single and eventually scored during a throw out.
In the fifth inning, the Sharks scored their fifth run when the bases were loaded and Sarah Hart (Jr., Newburgh, Ind.) earned an RBI walk. Caron earned her second run of the game when she advanced home off of an error. The Tritons put up a fight in the fifth inning, scoring three runs off of wild pitches. Caron entered the game and held Eckerd to one hit over the final three innings to earn the save.
In the second game, the Sharks kept their first inning scoring streak alive by scoring three runs. Noemi Luciani (Sr., Miami, Fla.), Talenfeld, and Lopez all reached base to start off the game. Jessica Hernandez (Sr., Miami, Fla.) knocked in two runs with a single to right center field. Lopez would score immediately when Hernandez attempted to reach second base.
The Sharks would score again in the second inning when Rivero hit her first triple of the year and stole home. NSU had its biggest inning in the fourth by scoring five runs. Talenfeld and Lopez led off with singles and both stole bases. Talenfeld was called out on a fielder's choice, but two runs came home when Bergner singled to left center field.
Caron followed up with her first RBI triple of the season and scored off a triple through the right side from Brittany Phillips (Jr., Seminole, Fla.). Rivero capped off the inning with an RBI single through the left side. Rivero, Caron, and Bergner all hit RBI in the fifth inning to increase the Sharks' lead to 11 runs.
The Sharks will return home this Tuesday, Apr. 6 to play a double-header against Northwood starting at 5 pm.
