FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University softball team (26-18) will head south to Miami Gardens, Fla. and face the St. Thomas Bobcats (23-18) in a nonconference doubleheader on Tuesday, April 19. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.

 

The Sharks are coming off two regional wins against the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish, 5-2 and 8-3. Head coach Lesa Bonee recorded her 300th win at Nova Southeastern in the process.

 

Sophomore Laura Saladrigas was the offensive star of the night as the Hollywood, Fla. native drove in six runs in the two games. In game one, she was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, pounding her fifth home run of the season. In game two, Saladrigas was clutch with a bases clearing double that drove home three runs en route to a seven-run fourth inning.

 

Junior Katie Kelton (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) also recorded a multi-hit outing in game one. Kelton was 2-for-2 with two runs scored, providing the only hits for the Sharks outside of Saladrigas.

 

Senior Lexi Sarradet (Miami, Fla.) recorded her team leading 10th win. The righty threw her second complete game without surrendering a walk while striking out 11. The win bumped her into second place on the all-time win list in NSU history.

 

Senior Rachel Talenfeld (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) recorded two walks in game two, becoming the only player in NSU history to reach 100 walks in their career.

 

The Bobcats are coming off a split in conference play to Ave Marie University on April 16. They fell in game one, 4-3, but bounced back for a 3-2 victory.

 

In the win, STU recorded 10 hits, six coming off the bats of three different Bobcats players. Amanda Fernandez was 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI, while Carissa Albizu went 2-for-4 and Brenda Emerson was 2-for-2.

 

St. Thomas used three pitchers in Nicki Sanchez, Emerson and Amanda Heyl. Heyl tossed the final two innings and preserved the win.

 

Melissa King has been their power hitter this season, driving home a team leading 27 RBI and three home runs. She also has nine doubles on the season.

 

The Sharks have dominated the series with a 38-7 advantage over the Bobcats, winning both meetings in the beginning of the season, 5-4 and 2-0.

 

In game one, the Sharks rallied from behind to win in the bottom of the seventh inning, 5-4. NSU rallied with 12 hits as Talenfeld (2-for-3), Kelton (3-for- 4), Gina Bondarenko (Fr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) (3-for- 4) and Brittany Phillips (Sr., Seminole, Fla.) (2-for-3) all recorded multi-hit games for the Sharks.

 

In game two, Saladrigas sent a deep fly ball to center and Bondarenko, who reached with a double, slid under the tag to give the Sharks its first run. A wild pitch by St. Thomas eventually scored the Sharks’ second run of the game.

 

Live audio (Click HERE) and live stats (Click HERE) will be available for the doubleheader. Also follow NSU Softball on Twitter through www.twitter.com/NSU_Softball.

 

For the game results, be sure to check www.NSUSharks.com or sign up to have results sent directly to your cell phone by signing up for SMS text messages by clicking here. For the weekly NSU Shark Athletic news, please sign up for the Shark Alert E-Newsletter by clicking here.