Box Score

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Nova Southeastern softball team beat the Florida Tech Panthers, 3-1, at the AD Griffin Sports Complex on Friday, April 18, wrapping up the 2014 home schedule with another series sweep against an in-conference opponent.

The original game time of 11 a.m. was pushed to 1 p.m. after the second rain delay in the series. The Panthers warmed up well during the delay, immediately scoring their first run of the series in the top of the first off a Sharks' infield error. Florida Tech's Elaine Brown reached first on the error, stole second, and moved to third on a single. Nicole Shinsky notched the Panthers' only RBI of the series on a fly out to centerfield to score Brown.

The Sharks tied the game in the bottom of the third. Lorena Spaulding (Jr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) put herself in scoring position on a leadoff double down the left field line. Melanie Spicola (Jr., Umatilla, Fla.) hit a sacrifice bunt to advance Spaulding to third, and a fielding error off a hard-hit ball by Erika Garcia (Sr., Pembroke Pines) provided enough time for Spaulding to reach home and tie the game at 1-1.

NSU's defense stranded two FIT baserunners in both the second and third innings, and single runners in the fourth and fifth, setting up the opportunity to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth.

Spaulding led off and again reached, this time on a Panthers' fielding error. After a walk to Spicola advanced Spaulding to second, the next batter, Samira Tanaka (Sr., Sao Paulo, Brazil), hit a sacrifice bunt to place both runners in scoring position. Garcia then came through with the big hit of the day, notching two RBI off a single up the middle to give the home team a 3-1 lead.

Garcia had moved into the circle in the top half of the fifth, and sealed the victory, her 10th of the season. She held FIT to no runs on two hits in three innings of work, and retired the Panthers in order in the seventh for the Sharks' third win in a row.

The sweep over FIT marked the Sharks' fourth sweep in five series, something the program has not done since 2010. The Saturday win also wrapped up a 15-5 home record, and since the Sharks opened home play against Barry on March 25, they have gone 14-3 in their past 17 games. Those 14 wins also include the historic back-to-back-to-back sweeps of Barry, Lynn and Florida Southern marked the first time the softball program had ever produced three consecutive SSC sweeps.

Nova Southeastern will return to face St. Thomas in a doubleheader on the road this Tuesday, April 22 at 2 p.m. They will wrap up the regular season next weekend in a crucial series with Rollins, which will go a long way in determining if the Sharks will advance to postseason play. Rollins is currently second in the conference standings, a game ahead of NSU at 16-5, and the Tars are fifth in the NCAA regional rankings, four spots ahead of the Sharks.

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