Box Score MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University softball team (18-23, 6-16 SSC) dropped the first of three games on the road against the Florida Tech Panthers (34-16, 13-9), 6-3, Friday afternoon.
The Sharks had five hits in the contest, two of which came on solo home runs in the second inning.
Taylor Rotz (So., Pittsburgh, Pa.) and
Haley Gonzales (Fr., Boca Raton, Fla.) each went 1-for-3 and drove their lone hits over left field.
Katrina Ammons (Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.) had the Sharks' only other RBI and went 1-for-3, while
Brenisha Bannister (Fr., Plantation, Fla.) and
Courtney Bridge (Sr., Port Coquitlam, B.C.) each recorded a hit.
The two home runs came in the second inning, with Taylor Rotz notching the first in the leadoff at bat. The sophomore worked her way to a 3-2 count before hitting the first home run of her collegiate career. Rotz' dinger was followed up by a groundout and strikeout, but Gonzales struck again before the inning turned. After fouling off the first pitch and taking a second strike, Gonzales sent her second home run of the season down the left field line.
Prior to the second, Florida Tech scored three runs in the first frame to take a lead they would never give up. After the inning started with a hit-by-pitch, Florida Tech's Nicole Miller hit an RBI double. Another runner reached base and both were driven home on a single through the right side from Ashley Montion.
NSU's big inning in the second put the Sharks within one run, but Florida Tech scored a pair of runs in the third and another in the fourth to give the Panthers enough to seal the win. NSU committed three errors in the game, and two directly impacted Florida Tech's score in the middle innings.
Down 6-2, the Sharks scored one more run in the fifth inning. Bridge hit a leadoff infield single and was advanced to third on a single from Bannister and a sacrifice bunt from
Dakota Villella (So., Hollywood, Fla.). With one out, an Ammons grounder to first was enough to score another run. NSU went 0-for-7 with five strikeouts to finish the game.
Rebecca Thornton (So., Lodi, Calif.) (14-11) took the loss after a complete-game effort. She allowed four earned runs and held Florida Tech to nine hits without a walk.
NSU will return to Florida Tech Saturday for a doubleheader to finish the series at 1 p.m.
