FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University softball team (19-24) will look to end its season on a high note with a home doubleheader against the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish (32-21) Friday at 5 p.m. The Sharks will send off their senior class, with Senior Day ceremonies coming during the doubleheader break.
The Sharks enter the weekend after closing the Sunshine State Conference slate this past weekend at Florida Tech, the South Region's fifth-ranked team. The Sharks dropped a close series, 2-1, after a pair of losses in the first two contests. However, NSU finished the weekend strong with an eighth-inning 4-0 victory. The Sharks went to extra innings with the Panthers in a scoreless game before scoring all four of their runs in the eighth.
The Sharks are outside the postseason picture this season, and after dropping two games to Rollins last weekend, the Sailfish also find themselves out of the regional rankings. Therefore, both teams have a chance to end their seasons with a victory, something only one team that goes to the postseason will be able to do. NSU will also have an opportunity to even the score against PBA after two losses earlier this season.
On March 4, NSU travelled up to West Palm Beach, Florida and lost to the Sailfish, 8-0 and 5-1. The series was in the middle of NSU's lowest point, a 10 game losing streak. Since then, the Sharks have earned 11 wins and played like a different team, with series wins over the likes of Florida Southern and Tampa on the road. To close strong, the Sailfish will have to do it against a much improved Sharks team.
PBA is led in the circle by Rachel Hill, who holds a 1.96 ERA over 146.1 innings pitched. She has held opposing batters to a .226 average and struck out 96 of them. Offensively, PBA is led by Kayla Knight and her .505 slugging percentage and 17 extra base hits.
Hill will be matched against NSU's
Rebecca Thornton (So., Lodi, Calif.), who will be looking to finish one of the strongest seasons in NSU softball history. With a 2.12 ERA and 14 wins, Thornton is in striking distance of becoming the fourth pitcher in the Sharks' NCAA era to hold an ERA of 2.10 or lower with at least 15 wins. The previous pitchers in the NCAA 2.10 ERA/15 wins club are Sara Demuth, Lexi Sarradet and Dani Caron.
Thornton isn't the only person chasing a prestigious club. Senior
Katrina Ammons (Jacksonville, Fla.) is currently slugging .555 and will look to finish the season slugging over .550. The only qualified players to reach that mark over an entire season are Erika Garcia, Laura Saladrigas, Lauren Lopez, Ashley Baker, Katie Veltri and Janette Rodriguez. Three members of the .550 slugging club were All-Americans and four were All-South Region honorees.
For live updates throughout the doubleheader, follow @NSU_Softball on Twitter.
