Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BOX SCORE vs TWU | BOX SCORE vs NHU
TUCSON, Ariz. – The Nova Southeastern University softball team (9-4) won its latter of the two games Saturday, 6-3 over the New Haven Chargers (1-3), after dropping its day two opener to the Texas Western Pioneers (9-3), 4-1.
The hero of the day for the Sharks was
Shelby Talon (Fr., Boynton Beach, Fla.), who hit a grand slam in the top of the third to give NSU the lead for good against New Haven.
Jennie Von Doellen (Jr., Hudson Bay, Canada) pitched two complete games on the day, striking out eight batters, and is now 7-3 on the season.
Chrissy Tabulov (Fr., Palm Harbor, Fla.) and
Samira Tanaka (Jr., Sao, Paulo, Brazil) each brought in a runner and combined for 5-for-13 hitting on the day.
GAME ONE AGAINST TWU
The Pioneers, who had yet to drop a game in the Leadoff Classic, continued its success against the Sharks.
The teams traded runs in the third inning with the Sharks' lone run coming in the bottom of the inning.
Laura Saladrigas (Sr., Hollywood, Fla.) hit a sacrifice fly into right field, deep enough to bring in
Lorena Spaulding (So., Pembroke Pines, Fla) from third.
The Sharks failed to score a run the rest of the game, while TWU scored two in the fourth and another in the fifth to give the Pioneers a perfect 4-0 record in pool play.
The loss dropped the Sharks to 1-2 in pool play, setting up a pivotal second game in day two of the classic.
GAME TWO VS NHU
A Talon grand slam in the third inning was enough to boost the Sharks past the Chargers, giving NSU a much-needed win.
New Haven scored a run in each of the first and second innings, giving the Chargers an early 2-0 lead.
Two outs in the third inning was where momentum finally swung in the Sharks' direction. Spaulding was able to reach first on a bunt-and-run to move pinch-runner
Elizabeth Spring (Fr., West Palm Beach, Fla.) over to second. Tanaka was then able to reach on a perfectly-placed bunt down the third base line to load the bases, before Talon crushed the ball over the left field fence for her first career home run as a Shark.
After no runs from either team in the fourth, Tanaka’s RBI single into left field brought in
Melanie Spicola (Jr., Umatilla, Fla.) to widen the lead to 5-2. Later in the fifth, Tabulov brought Tanaka home from second after a base hit into right field, for the Sharks' final run of the game.
The Chargers got a run back in the bottom of the seventh off of a solo home run, but it wasn’t enough to prevent NSU from getting their second win of the tournament.
The Sharks recieved the number one seed in the bronze bracket where they will take on fourth-seed Cal State Bernardino at 11 a.m. EST. The winner of that game will play the winner of the Albilene Christian/Minnesota St. Mankato matchup.
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