GAME ONE BOX|GAME TWO BOX
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern softball team (2-2) played two very different games against the West Florida Argonauts (2-0), but still came up on the wrong end of two one-run contests. In a well-played and low scoring, opener, the Argos won 3-2 and then followed with an excitement-filled 10-9 victory in game two.
GAME ONE
The action picked up in the bottom of the second inning. After Kaley Kania singled and stole second, starting pitcher
Sara DeMuth (Sr., Plant City, Fla.) walked two Argos to load the bases with two outs. Danielle Kidow then stepped up and drove a liner out to right field which brought around all three base runners.
DeMuth would get out of the inning with her fourth strikeout of the game, but the damage was already done with UWF going ahead 3-0.
Laura Saladrigas (Jr., Hollywood, Fla.) got the Sharks on the board in the fourth inning. With the count 1-2, Saladrigas drove a shot out to deep center where it cleared the fence for her first homerun of the season and trimmed the Argos lead to 3-1.
In the top of the fifth,
Jaimee Vega (Jr., Loxahatchee, Fla.) cut the two-run deficit in half, with a single back at the pitcher that brought
Raven Sepulveda (Fr., Tampa, Fla.) home. The Sharks’ momentum stalled on that same play as
Melanie Spicola (Fr., Umatilla, Fla.) was called out trying to score all the way from second.
The Sharks had a chance to tie the game in the top of the seventh, as
Michelle Sarradet (Fr., Miami, Fla.) reached first on a wild pitch, despite swinging at strike three. Two batters later, Lorena Spaulding walked to give the Sharks two base runners, with two outs. Unfortunately, the Argos catcher made a good play on Spicola’s slap hit attempt and threw her out at first to end the inning and game.
Vega went 2-for-3 in the game to improve her average to .700 through three games. Despite pitching six solid innings with nine strikeouts, DeMuth took the loss in her second game as a starter this season.
GAME TWO
The second game of the doubleheader provided a degree of excitement not seen in the first, as the teams combined for 28 hits and 19 runs. The Sharks put up four of those runs in the bottom of the seventh, but were one short of evening the game, with UWF holding on for a 10-9 victory.
After the Argos jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top half of the first inning, Saladrigas’ big bat struck in the bottom half to equalize the score, 2-2. With Spicola on second, Saladrigas took a 2-0 pitch on a ride over the left field wall for her second homer of the day.
West Florida added three more runs to its total over the next two innings to put the Sharks in a 5-2 hole heading into the bottom of the third. The Sharks put their first three batters on base, as Spaulding and Saladrigas reached on singles, while DeMuth was hit by a pitch.
After a pitching change for the Argos, the Sharks were able to plate one run on a throwing error by the UWF shortstop. The error would end up costing the Argos, as
Katie Kelton (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) singled three batters later to score two and knot the score at five before UWF was able to close out the inning.
The Argos put up five more runs in the next three innings as DeMuth replaced Saladrigas in the circle for NSU. UWF put at least one run on the board in each inning except the seventh, taking a 10-5 lead into the last half inning.
Errors put UWF in a dangerous position in the bottom of the seventh, with two throwing mistakes from the shortstop allowing a pair of base runners for the Sharks to reach safely.
Ashley Silveira (Jr. Miami, Fla.) got the Sharks within three with a RBI double to right center. Junior
Chelsea Emery (Eustis, Fla.) drove in Silveira two pitches later with a double her own and the Sharks were down just two. Two batters later Kelton brought around Emery with a RBI single to get NSU within one.
Spicola came up for the Sharks with the opportunity to drive in the tying run, but took a pitch on the outside portion of the plate that the umpire called strike three.
Spaulding and Kelton each went 2-for-3 in the game, while Kelton and Saladrigas each recorded two RBI. DeMuth pitched 4 2/3 innings of relief, allowing four earned runs and striking out four, bringing her season total to 23.
The Sharks will be in action again tomorrow, taking on No. 6 Valdosta State in a doubleheader on day two of the West Florida Crossover Tournament.
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