Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WINTER PARK, Fla. -  The Nova Southeastern Sharks softball team (30-20, 15-9 SSC) fell to the Rollin Tars (37-11, 19-5 SSC) in both games of the doubleheader today at Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

Game One
The Tars scored all four runs of the game on two run homeruns to take the, 4-0, win.

The Sharks went into battle in the top of the first inning. With two outs on the board, Erika Garcia (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) tripled to left center for the first hit in the game. Gina Bondarenko (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) grounded out to the shortstop but could not get to first in time for the third out.

The Tars scored the first runs of the game in the bottom of the first. Courtney Durbin set up the runs on a single to right field. In the next at bat, Kristie Hoeffer hit a two-run homerun to left field to put the Tars up, 2-0.

Jule Skanz set up the next set of runs on a single through the left side. With one out on the board and Kanz on first, Brittany Johnson hammered a hit to left field to clear the bases and put the Tars up, 4-0, in the bottom of the fourth.

The Sharks create another scoring opportunity in the top of the seventh inning when Bondarenko is walked to base. Shelby Cogan (Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) , pinch running for Bondarenko, arrived to scoring position on a single by Rebecca Thornton (Fr., Lodi, Calif.) down the left field line. With Taylor Rotz (Fr., Pittsburgh, Penn.) at bat, Cogan was put in a pickle from third to second, but Thornton was thrown out at first after attempting to steal second.

Game Two

A pair of home runs were not enough for NSU to pull out a victory, with Rollins completing the sweep with a 7-3 victory in regular-season finale.

The Tars scored three runs on four hits to build their lead in the bottom of the first. Haile Keisling set up the scoring runs on a single to left center. Next at-bat, Courtney Durbin bunted to advance Keisling to scoring position. Hoeffer grounded out to second base to put both runners in scoring position. Veronica Alred brought in the first set of runs on a double down the left field line. Two at bats later, Chelsea Reed connected on another double to bring in the third run.

NSU's first run of the game came off the bat of Bondarenko. A solo homerun slammed past centerfield cut the Tar's lead to 3-1 in the top of the fourth.

Rollins connected on four hits for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to score insurance runs. Back-to-back singles put two runners on base for the Tars. Brittany Johnson was walked to load the bases before Jessica Gipson doubled to centerfield to score all three. With Hali Marshall, pinch running for Gipson on third, Keisling singled to left center to bring in the Tars' last run of the game.

The Sharks did not end the game without a fight in the top of the seventh. Rotz connected for a leadoff single to start the rally. In the next at bat, Thornton cleared the bases on a homerun over left field to shrink the Tars lead to 7-3.

The three-game series against Rollins marked the end of NSU Softball's 2014 regular season. NSU finished the regular season in third place in the SSC, the highest finish for the Sharks since 2010.  

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