TAMPA, Fla. – Competing in its the final two games of the 2021 season, the Nova Southeastern softball team dropped a pair of games to the Tampa Spartans on Sunday afternoon at the Naimoli Family Field.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP (GAME ONE):
FINAL: Tampa Spartans 3 (W: C. Miner, 9-3), Nova Southeastern Sharks 0 (L: M. Johnson, 5-6)
RECORDS: Tampa Spartans (17-4, 15-3 SSC), Nova Southeastern (12-11, 9-9 SSC)
LOCATION: Naimoli Family Field | Tampa, Fla.
FOLLOW US: @NSUSHARKS and @NSU_Softball on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
HOW IT HAPPENED:
BOTTOM 4TH | After three scoreless innings, Tampa scored their first run on an RBI-single up the middle by Maddie Farrell, which plated Lauren Fantone who led off with a single to center three batters prior.
BOTTOM 6TH | The final two runs of the game came in the sixth thanks to back-to-back RBI-singles by Lexie Chevalier and Farrell, giving the Spartans a 3-0 lead and eventual winning score.
INSIDE THE STATS:
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- The game one loss gave Tampa the series win after Friday night's 4-7 loss.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP (GAME TWO):
FINAL: Tampa Spartans 4 (W: M. Galhouse, 9-1), Nova Southeastern Sharks 3 (L: M. Johnson, 5-7)
RECORDS: Tampa Spartans (18-4, 15-3 SSC), Nova Southeastern (12-12, 9-10 SSC)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
TOP 1ST | Unlike the first game, it was the Sharks who scored first in game two. Leadoff batter
Alexis Smith singled to right field and stole second before
Sam Sisco used an RBI-single to bring her home for a 1-0 Shark lead. After an out and a steal by Sisco,
Madison Fine singled down the right-field line to score Sisco to make it 2-0.
BOTTOM 5TH | Four innings later, the Spartans tied the game, 2-2, thanks to a Shark error and an RBI-single by Corynn Miner.
BOTTOM 6TH | Tampa stole the lead from the Sharks in the sixth, 4-2, off a two-RBI groundout by Avery Perkins.
TOP 7TH | After an error allowed lead-off batter
Allie Janowiak to reach,
Ryleigh Langwell came into pinch run for her and she was advanced on a single by the next batter,
Mayte Lezcano. A groundout by
Samantha Burke pushed both baserunners forward, and the Sharks were able to come within one, 4-3, thanks to a groundout by
Kerstyn Shaw, who scored Langwell. That would be the end of the rally, however, as a groundout by Smith ended the game.
INSIDE THE STATS:
- In her final game of her Shark career, Lezcano went 3-for-3 with a double.
- Sisco finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Fine was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
- Smith was 1-for-4, scoring once.
- Johnson was saddled with the loss, allowing four runs (2 ER) on eight hits.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- Lezcano's three hits were a single-game career-high.
UP NEXT
The Sharks will await to hear about postseason honors in the next couple of weeks.
SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Follow along with live updates on Twitter by following @NSU_Softball.
