GAME ONE BOX|GAME TWO BOX
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern softball team (10-8) earned a pair of victories during an afternoon doubleheader Tuesday at St. Thomas (1-5). The Sharks took game one 4-2, as
Gina Bondarenko (So., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) hit her second homerun of the season, and then won in five innings, 9-0, in game two.
GAME ONE
The Sharks scored four runs in the third inning, enough for NSU to capture a 4-2 victory over the Bobcats in the opener of the doubleheader. Bondarenko sent a three-run shot over the left field wall to, that broke a 1-1 tie, giving NSU a lead it would not relinquish.
St. Thomas struck first in the bottom of the second inning. After loading the bases, Sasha Horton singled to left field to drive in a run and put the Bobcats ahead 1-0. NSU would get out of the inning with no more damage done and fire back in the top of the third.
Katie Kelton (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) notched NSU’s first RBI of the game, as
Raven Sepulveda (Fr., Tampa, Fla.) was able to score from second on a single up the middle. Bondarenko then stepped into the batter’s box with Kelton on first and
Lorena Spaulding (Fr., Hollywood, Fla.) on second. With an 0-1 count, Bondarenko sent the ball over the left field wall to put NSU up 4-1.
The Bobcats would make up one run in the bottom half of the inning. Carissa Albizu was able to score from third on a double steal attempt, in which
Stephanie Palazzolo (New Port Richey, Fla.) threw out Denise Prieto at second.
It would be the last run scored in the game, as NSU would move above .500 (9-8) with a 4-2 win despite being out hit by St. Thomas 11 to five. The Bobcats left 10 runners on base in the game.
Melanie Spicola (Fr., Umatilla, Fla.) was the only Shark with multiple hits, going 2-for-4, while also stealing two bases.
GAME TWO
The Sharks needed only five innings to win the second game, taking down the Bobcats by a score of 9-0.
Ashley Silveira (Jr., Miami, Fla.) went 2-for-2 at the plate, while accounting for four runs with two RBI and two runs scored. Kelton also drove in two runs with a triple in the third inning.
Silveira recorded her first hit and run scored in the first half inning of action, scoring on a Bondarenko single. The Sharks added three more runs in the third inning to push their advantage to 4-0.
After Sepulveda and Spaulding reached safely, Kelton ripped a shot to right center that went all the way to the wall, allowing the two base runners to score as she was able to reach third upright. Silveira came up next and was able to plate Kelton with a hard bunt down the first baseline.
The Sharks blew open the game in the fifth inning, scoring five runs after a pitching change by the Bobcats. NSU, who had the bases loaded for a good portion of the inning, registered three runs in the inning as base runners raced home after wild pitches from the St. Thomas pitcher. Silveira would tally her second RBI along the way on a single, while Sepulveda would earn the only other RBI in the inning, as she walked to force home Silveira who was on third with the bases chucked.
Brittany Lacasse would double in the bottom of the fifth for St. Thomas, but her teammates could not bring her in, ending the game via mercy rule with NSU leading 9-0.
Laura Saladrigas (Jr., Hollywood, Fla.) pitched five scoreless innings, giving up only three hits to the Bobcats to improve to 4-2 this season. Spaulding went 2-for-3 and scored a pair of runs.
NSU will next be in action Friday, Feb. 24, as the Sharks take on Armstrong Atlantic State and Columbus State on day one of the Columbus State Tournament.
For the latest NSU news and results, be sure to visit
www.NSUSharks.com. To have results sent directly to your cell phone via text message, sign up for SMS text message delivery by
clicking here. For the latest news, be sure to sign up for the Shark Alert E-newsletter by
clicking here.
