FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University softball team (5-3) will halt from tournament play as the Sharks head to West Palm Beach, Fla. for a doubleheader against Northwood (2-4) on Saturday, Feb 19 with the first pitch slated for noon.
“It will be a great opportunity for us to see how well we can adjust to things since we have two starters out due to injuries,” said head coach Lesa Boneè. “We will work on playing the game of fastpitch softball well one pitch at a time - regardless of our opponent.”
This young talented team has shown a lot of positive things in the first eight games of the 2011 season.
Underclassmen Laura Saladrigas (So., Hollywood, Fla.), Gina Bondarenko (Fr., Pembroke Pines), Gianni Artidiello (Fr., Miami, Fla.), Holly Roberson (Fr., Dunnellon, Fla.) and Dani Millan (Fr., Ventura, Calif.) have accounted for 43 of the Sharks 70 hits and drove in 30 of the NSU’s 36 runs this season.
Saladrigas is currently the Sharks leader at the plate. She is batting .480 with 12 hits, two doubles, two home runs, while driving in 12. She has amassed an .800 slugging percentage, while earning five walks and has 20 total bases.
Seniors Rachel Talenfeld (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Brittany Phillips (Seminole, Fla.) sit with a .455 and .389 batting average, respectively. Talenfeld is the Sharks’ leader with 10 walks and is 4-for-5 in stolen bases and has already reach double-figures in stolen bases with 11.
Junior transfer Sara DeMuth (Plant City, Fla.) and senior Lexi Sarradet (Miami, Fla.) have been the anchor in the circle early on. Combined they have a 2.50 earned run average and have struck out 49 batters in 55.0 innings pitched.
The Sharks started out the season 5-0 with victories over St. Thomas (5-4, 2-0), North Alabama (3-1, 11-7) and Delta State (7-3). While in the midst of the West Florida Tournament, NSU stumbled in the last three games falling to Delta State (3-2) and West Florida (8-6, 9-5 (9 inn.)).
About Northwood
Northwood is a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) school out of West Palm Beach, Fla.
The Seahawks started the year with two losses to Palm Beach Atlantic on Feb. 2, 7-0, 7-0. Northwood was a scoring machine with two wins (11-3, 13-3) over Edward Waters College later in the week on Feb. 9.
In its most recent series, NU dropped both to Florida Tech, 18-8, 4-1 on Feb. 12.
Northwood’s most consistent hitter to start the season is Loralee Helton, who is batting .400. Chloe Labrador is the Seahawks’ RBI leader with four and Bethany Lawrence has scored six of NU’s 33 runs. Chantall Cooper has had three at-bats but has made the most of them, hitting a double, triple and home run for a 3.000 slugging percentage.
The Series vs. Northwood
The Sharks have a blistering 48-0 series lead over the Seahawks. Last season, NSU outscored Northwood, 31-3, as the Sharks rolled past the NAIA team.
