Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Nova Southeastern softball team (20-14, 8-4 SSC) beat the Lynn Fighting Knights (18-21, 2-13) in both games of Saturday's doubleheader, earning the sweep in the three-game series at the Lynn Softball Stadium.
Both facets of the team had a great performance. Jennie Von Doellen (Sr., Hudson Bay, Canada) notched a win and a save on the day, pitching nine combined innings, allowing one hit and one run. Offensively, four Sharks -- Erika Garcia (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.), Katrina Ammons (Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.), Maegan Lee (Jr., Miami, Fla.) and Gina Bondarenko (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) -- notched a home run in the series. Garcia had four RBI on Saturday, followed by Bondarenko with three.
Game One
The lead was exchanged between the teams before the Sharks took the 3-2 win.
The Fighting Knights were on the board first with a Cherise McEnery home run to right center, putting the Knights up 1-0 in the bottom of the second.
Lynn extended their lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the third. Danielle McNeil reached base on a fielder's choice and was brought in by a double to right center by Devin Kochergen.
The Sharks came back and tied the game in the top of the fourth. Rebecca Thornton (Fr., Lodi, Calif.) set up the runs with a single to center field. Next at-bat, Dakota Villella (Fr., Hollywood, Fla.) reached base on a fielding error, advancing to second on the throw and allowing Thornton to move to scoring position as well. Bondarenko brought them both home on a two-run single to second base.
First at-bat in the fifth, Courtney Bridge (Fr., Port Coaquilam, Canada) dropped a bunt single down the third base line. Lorena Spaulding (Jr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) sacrificed Bridge to second, and then Tanaka singled down the left field line to put two runners on. Garcia followed with a single to center field to bring Bridge home, putting the Sharks in the lead, 3-2.
The Knights threatened to tie the game in the last inning. A walk and sac bunt put Christine Carvatta at second. With one out on the board, Jasmine Campos singled up the middle to put two runners on base. But Von Doellen and the Sharks held on to make the third out and end the threat to take the 3-2 win.
Von Doellen threw three innings and allowed one hit to earn the save in relief of the winner, Thornton, who allowed just four hits and two runs in her four innings of work.
Game Two
In the top of the first, back-to-back errors put Tanaka and Ammons in scoring position. Bondarenko would get another RBI with a single to left center, scoring Tanaka and giving the Sharks the early 1-0 lead.
With one out, and three hits, Lynn tied the game in the bottom of the inning, but two strikeouts by Von Doellen kept the Fighting Knights from getting more.
Three runs on back-to-back home runs put the Sharks up 4-1 in the top of the third. Tanaka was on base first, on a single up the middle. Next at-bat, Garcia slammed one over the fence for a two-run homer. Ammons followed and blasted her second home run of the series to left center.
Back-to-back singles by Tanaka and Spicola set up Garcia to hit her second home run in as many at-bats to push the Sharks ahead 7-1, in the top of the fourth.
Finally, Lee put one more on the board for the Sharks in the top of seventh, hitting her first home run of the season, the team's fourth of the game, giving the Sharks an 8-1 win.
Von Doellen only allowed one hit, no runs, no walks and struck out four to take the win.
After sweeping Barry earlier this week, NSU earned their first back-to-back three-game series sweeps since April of 2010. The Sharks will return to the field Tuesday, April 1, to face the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish in a doubleheader, with first pitch set for 5 p.m.
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