BOX SCORE

TAMPA, Fla. – Facing the No. 15 team in the nation, the Nova Southeastern University softball team (16-7, 0-1 SSC) only got two hits as they suffered a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Spartans (19-2, 4-0 SSC) Saturday evening at the UT Softball Field.

With two of the top pitchers in the conferences, no one expected anything less.

Deanna Henriott (13-0) was lights out in the first three innings, striking out six of the first nine batters.

Despite Julie Wisniewski leading off in the bottom half of the first with a hit, Sharks’ pitcher Sara DeMuth (7-4) buckled down retiring the next seven batters.

Tampa was first to strike after Wisniewski reached on an error and later scored on the RBI single by Susan Jallo.

NSU was relentless as freshman Gianni Artidiello (Miami, Fla.) led off the top half of the fourth with a walk. Senior Rachel Talenfeld (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) followed with an infield single to third. With both reaching base, Artidiello and Talenfeld extended their on-base streak to 23 games.

Freshman Dani Millan (Ventura, Calif.) laid down a sac bunt with one out for put both runners in scoring position for senior Brittany Phillips (Seminole, Fla.). Phillips fought back from an 0-2 count to single through the left side and plate Artidiello and even the game, 1-1.

Still locked at one, both pitchers continued to control the game. It wasn’t until the fifth when Tampa drove home another run.

With two outs and Katlyn Raatz on third, Wisniewski hit one off the end of bat to shortstop, beating the throw out at first, scoring Raatz for the Spartans second run.

In the last two innings, both Talenfeld and DeMuth reached base but NSU could not string together a rally to complete the comeback.

Henriott earned the win, tossing the complete game striking out 12 and holding NSU to two hits.

DeMuth scattered five hits in 6.0 innings, as she struck out five, giving up both runs, only one earned.

The Sharks will conclude the series tomorrow with a doubleheader at noon against the Spartans.