Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Nova Southeastern softball team returned to .500 on the season, 14-14, after a doubleheader sweep of St. Thomas on Saturday at the A.D. Griffin Sports Complex, holding the Bobcats (14-12) to just seven combined hits in wins of 6-2 and 1-0.
Game One
In the opener, the difference maker was the Sharks scoring four runs on six hits in the bottom of the fourth. Rebecca Thornton (Fr., Lodi, Cali.) started the rally with a single to centerfield. Samira Tanaka (Sr., Sao Paulo, Brazil) came through with a sacrifice bunt to advance Courtney Bridge (Jr., Port Coquitlam, Canada), pinch running for Thornton, to second base. Next at-bat, Maegan Lee (Jr., Miami, Fla.) hit a bunt single, advancing to second as Bridge moved to third.
With two runners on base, Dakota Villella (Fr., Hollywood, Fla.) had the day's biggest hit, a go-ahead two-run single to right field. After she advanced to second on the throw. Melanie Spicola (Jr., Umatilla, Fla.) brought her in with an RBI double to right field, and Spicola herself would come around on a passed ball.
Thornton pitched all seven innings in the game, allowing only four hits and two walks to earn the victory.
The Sharks had fallen behind 2-0 early, as back-to-back bunt singles and a throwing error in the infield put the Bobcats in early scoring position. With runners on second and third, Danielle Borrelli grounded out to second for the first RBI. Next at-bat, Christina Horton singled down the left field line to put the Bobcats up by two.
NSU scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the second. Gina Bondarenko (Sr., Pembroke Pines) reached base on a fielder's choice, and Thornton, who went 2-for-3 in the game, singled, advancing Bondarenko to second. With runners on first and second, Lee drew a walk to load the bases for the Sharks. Villella notched NSU's first RBI of the game with a single to left field and brought Bondarenko home, putting the Sharks on the board and cutting the lead to 2-1.
The tying run came in the third. With one out, Lorena Spaulding (Jr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) came to bat and reached on a bunt single. With Katrina Ammons (Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.) at the plate, Spaulding stole second and reached third on a passed ball, and Ammons notched the second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly that brought Spaulding home and tied the game at 2.
Thornton retired 10 straight batters in the midst of the game, allowing the Sharks to mount their comeback. Spicola and Villella each had two hits, while Villella had three of the team's six RBI.
Game Two
The only run of the game came from the Sharks in the bottom of the first inning. Spicola was walked to first and stole second base to set up the scoring. Ammons sent her home with a deep double to centerfield.
Erika Garcia (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) earned the win for the Sharks, throwing 63 pitches against the minimum amount of Bobcat batters, 21. She allowed just three hits in seven innings of play, getting two of the three strikeouts thrown on the days. Each of the first two Bobcat hitters that reached were erased on double plays started by Garcia herself, and the third, Linett Perez, was tagged out trying to advance to second base after a sixth-inning single.
The Sharks return to the field to take on in-conference opponent Barry Tuesday, March 25 at 6 p.m., and will finish up the three-game series against the Bucs the following day for a 5 p.m. doubleheader.
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