[LIVE STATS] [LIVE VIDEO]FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Nova Southeastern Sharks (17-14, 5-4 SSC) will continue Sunshine State Conference play this weekend and face the Lynn University Fighting Knights (18-18, 2-4 SSC) in a three-game series on Friday and Saturday in Boca Raton, Fla.
The Sharks are returning to the field after dismantling the Barry University Buccaneers in a three-game sweep on Tuesday and Wednesday. The series sweep was the first in program history over Barry and also made NSU the second program to sweep the Bucs in a three-game conference series over the last nine seasons. NSU is currently on a five game winning streak, taking the victory in six of its last seven games.
On Tuesday, the Sharks took a dramatic, 2-1, extra-inning win against the Bucs. Erika Garcia (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) went the distance for the Sharks, pitching all eight innings, allowing seven hits and one run, while striking out three. Melanie Spicola (Jr., Umatilla, Fla.) went 2-for-4 in the game and scored the tying run in the bottom of the seventh off a triple and a passed ball. Maegan Lee (Jr., Miami, Fla.) hit the game-winning walk-off single to left field that scored Dakota Villella (Fr., Hollywood, Fla.) in the bottom of the eighth for the win.
In the doubleheader Wednesday, the Sharks in the circle completed the series sweep of Barry. Rebecca Thornton (Fr., Lodi, Calif.) sealed the series win, allowing no runs, six hits, while throwing four strikeouts. Garcia followed and secured the series sweep, giving up four hits, one run and two strikeouts. Offensively, the two combined for half of the team's RBI on the night.
The sweep put the Sharks fourth in the SSC standings, three spots above Barry and one ahead Saint Leo.
Lynn was swept by Eckerd in its last outing, ending on March 22. The Knights are fourth in conference in batting average at .277, third in RBI with 123 and second in home runs with 17. Danielle McNeil leads the conference in runs scored with 30 while Devin Kochergen leads the SSC in hits with 41 and RBI at 36.
The Sharks lead the all-time series against the Knights, 37-23-1. The last time they faced each other was in a midweek series ending on March 6, 2013, in which the Sharks swept the Knights in a three-game series.
Garcia earned the first game win, 5-2, allowing only two runs on four hits and striking out two batters. The Sharks took the series win, 9-3, as Lorena Spaulding (Jr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) and Garcia each notched an RBI and Samira Tanaka (Sr., Sao Paulo, Brazil) brought in two. The sweep of the series came in a 4-3 win, with Garcia going the distance, allowing six hits and three runs, going two-for-three and notching an RBI.
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