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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Nova Southeastern softball team (30-17, 16-6 SSC) will play its final series of the regular season against the Rollins Tars (34-11, 16-5 SSC) on Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26 in Winter Park, Fla.
The Sharks take on Rollins with a single game at 6 p.m. on Friday and conclude the series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. in Winter Park, Fla.
The series will be crucial in determining postseason play for the Sharks. The Sharks are currently ninth in the regional rankings, behind Sunshine State Conference foe's Tampa at two, Rollins at five and Saint Leo at eight. In order to play in the South Regional Tournament, the Sharks likely have to place in the seventh spot or higher. Besides taking wins at Rollins, the results of the Saint Leo and Barry three-game series this weekend will also play a factor in NSU's postseason hopes.
The Sharks' have turned their season around after losing four of the first five games. Since then, NSU has gone on two winning streaks, including an eight-game winning streak and another run of sweeping four out of five SSC series.
Since the Sharks opened home play against Barry on March 25, they have gone 16-3 in their past 19 games. Those 16 wins also include the historic back-to-back-to-back sweeps of Barry, Lynn and Florida Southern that marked the first time the softball program had ever produced three consecutive SSC sweeps.
The Sharks earned 30 victories this season after their sweep of the St. Thomas Bobcats on Thursday, April 22. The Sharks outscored the Bobcats 14-1 on the day, with the first six in the lineup each notching a RBI.
Jennie Von Doellen (Sr., Hudson Bay, Canada) went the distance in the Sharks' first game, throwing all eight innings of the 1-0 shutout of the Bobcats, allowing only five hits, no walks and no runs.
NSU forced the run-rule in the second game, claiming a 13-1 victory in the bottom of the fifth.
Rebecca Thornton (Fr., Lodi, Calif.) went the complete game for the Sharks in Game two, allowing one run on eight hits while striking out two.
Rollins is currently one atop Nova Southeastern in the SSC standings at two. A series win can give the Sharks second place in the SSC to end the regular season. Regardless, the Sharks have already secured their highest finish in conference play since 2010.
The Tars have won nine of their last 10 games. Kristie Hoeffer leads the SSC in hits, runs, total basses and slugging percentage and is ranked second in batting average, RBI and stolen bases. Pitcher Niki Fogle has claimed 22 wins this season.
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