GAME 1 BOX SCORE | GAME 2 BOX SCORE

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University softball team (28-18) has extended its win streak to five games with two wins over the St. Thomas Bobcats (23-20), 5-0 and 7-5, Tuesday at Bobcat Field.

GAME ONE
Senior Lexi Sarradet (Miami, Fla.) hurled her fourth straight win as the Sharks shutout the Bobcats, 5-0.

Even though the Sharks only had four hits in the game, they drove in runners when it counted the most.

Sophomore Laura Saladrigas (Hollywood, Fla.) drilled a two-out double to right field to start the Sharks rally in the first. Gina Bondarenko (Fr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) continued the rally by being hit-by-a-pitch but Saladrigas was picked off to end the first with the score remaining 0-0.

Senior Brittany Phillips (Seminole, Fla.) begun the second inning with a leadoff walk and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Dani Millan (Ventura, Calif.). With two outs, rookie Gianni Artidiello (Miami, Fla.) sent a hard single to left center, where Phillips slid around the tag at the plate to put the Sharks up 1-0.

The Sharks added two security runs in the third as senior Rachel Talenfeld (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) led off the inning with a bunt single down the third base line. Saladrigas walked to put two runners on with no outs and both Talenfeld and Saladrigas advanced into scoring position with stolen bases.

Talenfeld was the second Sharks run with a wild pitch by St. Thomas. Phillips stepped up and hit a deep ball to dead center for her first sacrifice fly of the season to plate Saladrigas.

In the fourth, junior Sara DeMuth (Plant City, Fla.) led off the inning by getting hit by her second pitch of the game. Marissa Raimo (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) laid down the successful sacrifice bunt and reached on a throwing error by the Bobcats to once again put runners on base with no outs.

Artidiello moved both runners on her sacrifice bunt and Talenfeld slapped a single through the left side, driving home DeMuth and Raimo to push the lead by five.

Sarradet (11-4) tossed her fifth complete game shutout, only surrendering two hits and three walks while striking out five.

Nikki Sanchez (3-5) only threw 3.2 innings in the loss. She gave up three hits and five runs, while striking out two.

Talenfeld finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI.

GAME TWO
The Sharks opened the game with five runs on six hits as NSU completed the sweep despite a late scare by St. Thomas in the bottom of the seventh, but the Sharks held off the Bobcats to win, 7-5.

The Sharks romped on the STU pitching to start the game. Artidiello set the tone for the Sharks with a walk. Saladrigas hit her second double of the day as she drove home Artidiello. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Saladrigas was plated home on an RBI single by Bondarenko.

NSU strung together four straights hits that results in two more runs. Phillips and DeMuth both singled to load the bases for Millan. Millan was clutch with a single up the middle, driving home two more runs to make it 4-0. Raimo also followed with a single to load the bases again for the Sharks.

Instead of a hit, Artidiello walked on a 3-1 pitch to bring home NSU’s fifth run.

In the second, St. Thomas scored its first run of the day to cut Nova Southeastern's lead 5-1..

The Sharks scored two more runs in the third off an error by the Bobcat defense and another RBI double by Saladrigas.

Heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Sharks looked like they secured a win with a insurmountable lead. But St. Thomas did not go down without a fight. With two outs, the Bobcats scored four runs to put the tying run on first.

DeMuth was brought in for relief of starter Devin Higginbotham (Sr., Palatka, Fla.) and ended the game on a groundout to earn her first career save at NSU.

Higginbotham (6-3) tossed 6.2 innings, giving up nine hits, five runs and three walks.

Denise Prieto (5-4) suffered the loss only throwing 0.1 innings. She gave up the first five runs on four hits.

Bondarenko and Saladrigas both recorded two hits in the victory.

The Sharks will host Lynn University for its final home series of the 2011 season with a single game at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 21. NSU will honor its five seniors on Friday, April 22 in between the doubleheader which begins at 5 p.m.