FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern softball team earned its fifth and six-straight victories on Thursday afternoon, sweeping the visiting Lander Bearcats, 7-2 and 4-0. The Sharks, who play eight home games in the span of six days over their Spring Break, never trailed once in the non-conference doubleheader.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP (GAME ONE):
FINAL: Nova Southeastern Sharks 7 (W: E. Hess, 7-6), Lander Bearcats 2 (L: A. Vinson, 7-2)
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern (13-9), Lander (15-3-1)
LOCATION: AD Griffin Sports Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
FOLLOW US: @NSUSHARKS and @NSU_Softball on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
BOTTOM 1ST | With one out on the board, back-to-back walks drawn by Mya Maddox and Sam Sisco put the Sharks in scoring position before Tia Williams was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The next batter, Juliana Speranza, tallied the first RBI of the game with a single to right before Alex Suzuki made it a 2-0 game with an RBI-infield single. Two batters later with the bases still loaded, Hayley Hendricks was hit by a pitch to make it a 3-0 game in favor of NSU.
 
TOP 2ND | The Bearcats tallied their first run of the ballgame after a fielded bunt single was overthrown by the Sharks, allowing enough time for Lander's Bridget Tierney to cross the plate.
 
BOTTOM 2ND | With Sydney Lageyre on third and Sisco on second, Williams sent a two-RBI double into centerfield, allowing both baserunners to score to bring the game to 5-1 with the Sharks out in front.
 
BOTTOM 3RD | The Sharks went up by five runs, 6-1, in the third as Lageyre drilled an RBI-triple into deep right center to bring home Hayley Hendricks, who was hit by a pitch to reach and stole second.
 
BOTTOM 6TH | Leading off the sixth with a walk, her third of the game, Maddox stole second and was advanced to third on a ground out by Sisco before a sacrifice fly by Williams tallied the final score for NSU, 7-1.
 
TOP 7TH | Lander put two outs up on the board before recording the final run of the game, as Morgan Watson singled to left field to bring home Sydney Grimes, ending the game at 7-2.
 
INSIDE THE STATS:
 

• Despite the score, the Sharks were outhit 8-7.
• Lageyre led the Sharks, finishing 2-for-4 with one RBI and scored once.
• Williams went 1-for-2 with three RBI while Hendricks was 1-for-1, scoring once and tallying one RBI while getting hit by a pitch twice.
• Sisco and Suzuki were each 1-for-3, with Sisco scoring twice and Suzuki added one RBI.
• Speranza also had an RBI of her own in her 1-for-4 outing.
• Emily Hess picked up her seventh win of the season, pitching all 7.0 innings and allowing two runs on eight hits, striking out three.

 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
 

• Williams tied her career-high three RBI for the third time this season.
• The Sharks tied their season-high six stolen bases in game one.

 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP (GAME TWO):
FINAL: Nova Southeastern Sharks 4 (W: S. Foster, 7-3), Lander Bearcats 0 (L: Gonzalez, 4-2)
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern (14-9), Lander (15-4-1)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
BOTTOM 2ND | The Sharks were the first to strike in game two, as leadoff batter Suzuki was brought home on a sacrifice fly by Lageyre.
 
BOTTOM 5TH | Leading the inning off with an infield single and stealing second, a throwing error by the Bearcats' third baseman on a ground ball by Williams pushed Lageyre across the plate to make it 2-0 in favor of the Sharks.
 
BOTTOM 6TH | With Ryleigh Langwell on third and Hendricks on second, Maddox singled through the right side, bringing home both baserunners to signify the final runs of the game and giving the Sharks their 4-0 win.
 
INSIDE THE STATS:
 

• Maddox finished the game 2-for-4 with her two RBI while Alexis Smith also tallied two hits in her three at bats.
• Sisco and Suzuki finished 1-for-3 for the second-straight game, with Suzuki scoring once.
• Lageyre went 1-for-2 with an RBI and one run scored.
• Savannah Foster picked up her third-straight win and seventh of the season after her 7.0 innings of work, allowing zero runs on five hits, striking out six and only walking one.

 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
 

• This was Foster's third shutout of the season.
• Today was the first time the Sharks and the Bearcats have competed against each other in program history.

 
UP NEXT
 
The Sharks will be back in action Friday night as they host Queens College (N.Y.) in a non-conference doubleheader starting at 5:00 p.m.
 
SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
 
Follow along with live updates on Twitter by following @NSU_Softball.