FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University softball team (5-4) will travel to West Palm Beach, Fla. to compete in the inauguaral Sailfish Showdown Tournament hosted by Palm Beach Atlantic. The Sharks will compete in four games in two days, with the first game starting at 1 p.m. on Friday.
The Sharks will kickoff tournament play Friday with a doubleheader against Merrimack and follow with a 5 p.m. game versus Charleston. On Saturday, NSU will return to the field at 1 p.m. to face Goldey Beacom and move on to face Flagler at 5 p.m. for the fourth time this season.
The Sharks are returning to play after improving their record to 5-4 with a sweep of Kentucky State in a doubleheader Monday, 11-0 and 8-2. The first game of the doubleheader ended in the fifth inning due to the mercy rule, as the Sharks totaled 13 hits, scoring 11 runs in four innings. Jennie Von Doellen (Sr., Hudson Bay, Can.) earned her first win of the season and was two batters away from a perfect game.
The Sharks' energy extended into game two, as six NSU players notched a RBI, Carly Comito (Fr., Boca Raton, Fla.) got her second homerun of the season and first career win, Katey Blummer (Fr., Naples, Fla.) got her first college hit and Taylor Rotz stepped into the circle for the first time in her college career.
In the Sharks' last tournament appearence, the Sharks went 3-2, upsetting No. 5 Atlantic Armstrong and holding No. 6 Valdosta State to five hits and only two runs scored in the first inning.
Here is a background on the four teams the Sharks will face in the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish Showdown:
Charleston Golden Eagles
The Sharks will face the Charleston Golden Eagles for the first time in program history. The Golden Eagles will have their season opener in an earlier game the same Friday. Charleston completed the 2013 season with a 29-21 record and finish third in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Eagles have a key returning player this season in Kendal LeFrancois, who was Second Team All-WVIAC selection in her first season of college softball and led them in RBI and HR's.
Merrimack Warriors
NSU and Merrimack have not been on the same field since March 16, 2007, in which the Sharks won, 5-4. Merrimack will start their 2014 season versus the Sharks and feature seven returning players, two of whom were all-conference performers. The Warriors nearly made a post-season appearance last year, with an overal record of 22-21.
Goldey Beacom Lightning
This will be the first game between the Sharks and Lightning in over a decade, as the Sharks won the last competition 2-1 on January 27, 1998. The Lightning will also begin their 2014 campaign in the Palm Beach Atlantic Tournament, after finishing 2013 with a 13-31 record. Goldey Beacom was chosen to finish 11th in the Central Atlantic College Conference and have eight returners, including Michelle Foster, who was the teams leading hitter with a .328 batting average and 17 RBI.
Flagler Saints
With the exception of last weekends cancelled games, the Saints and Sharks have met every weekend since playing the home-opening doubleheader for the Sharks. The Saints/Sharks series is now 6-3 all time, with the Sharks winning the their last game in the Eckerd College Tournament earlier this season, 5-4. Since then, the Saints are 9-7 and have gone on a four-game winning streak, beating Sunshine State Conference contender, No. 24 Barry.
All four Sharks games will be broadcasted throughout the weekend. Tune in HERE, or follow along on Twitter (@NSUSharks). Live stats will be available HERE.
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