BOX SCORE

MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University softball team (22-12, 4-6 SSC) fell to the Florida Tech Panthers (16-15, 1-6 SSC), 7-3, in game one of the series, Tuesday at the Nancy Bottge Field.

The Sharks were held to four hits, coming off the bats of Gianni Artidiello (Fr., Miami, Fla.), Rachel Talenfeld (Sr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Laura Saladrigas (So., Hollywood, Fla.) and Gina Bondarenko (Fr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.).

The Sharks started off on a positive note whenKatie Kelton (Jr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) earned a one-out walk in the top of the first inning. After Talenfeld laid down her eighth sacrifice bunt of the season moving Kelton in scoring position, Saladrigas drilled a ball to left center easily platting Kelton for a 1-0 lead.

The Panthers did not panic as Florida Tech’s leadoff batter Sarah Oram singled to start the inning. After the bases got loaded from a walk and single, Emily Densem reached first on a catcher’s interference to even the game, 1-1. Still with the bases loaded, Sasha Stephaniuk singled to center, driving home two additional runs for a 3-1 lead.

Florida Tech added a run in the fourth and two in the fifth, making it a 6-3 ballgame.

NSU cut the lead in half after Talenfeld led off the inning with a single to the third baseman. An error by the Florida Tech defense put runners on first and second with one out. Bondarenko hit a deep ball off the left centerfield wall, plating home Talenfeld and Brittany Phillips (Sr., Seminole, Fla.), who reached first on a fielder’s choice.

NSU never rallied back, as FIT scored another run in the sixth, giving the Panthers their first Sunshine State Conference win of the season.

The Sharks and Panthers conclude the series with a doubleheader tomorrow at 1 p.m.