FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – With the lastest regional rankings coming out and the Nova Southeastern University softball team (24-18) sitting at ninth, the Sharks understand the importance of two regional games against Palm Beach Atlantic (22-14) on Friday, April 15 at the AD Griffin Sports Complex starting at 6 p.m.

As an unranked SIAC team will recieve one of the eight regional bids, the Sharks will have to battle for one of the other seven spots in the South Region.

The Sharks won their last conference series against Saint Leo, getting two of the three win. Senior Lexi Sarradet (Miami, Fla.) was stellar on the mound, earning her second SSC Pitcher of the Week honor this season. The righty appeared in all three games, while not allowing a run. She struck out 17 in 14.0 innings pitching without allowing a walk.

Senior Rachel Talenfeld (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) continued her hit streak, now at six, as she is second on the team with a .357 batting average. Talenfeld also stands at second, along with freshman Gianni Artidiello (Miami, Fla.), with 22 walks on the year.

Sophomore Laura Saladrigas (Hollywood, Fla.) is the Sharks’ top dog at the plate, leading the team with a .382 batting average, sitting seventh in the conference standings. She has also proved to be one of the top hitters in the SSC as she is third in RBI (35) and fifth in slugging percentage (602).

Junior transfer Sara DeMuth (Plant City, Fla.) has also posted nine wins on the mound. In 125.0 innings pitched, DeMuth almost averages a strikeout an inning as she has a team leading 115 and holds a 1.85 earned run average.

About Palm Beach Atlantic
The Sailfish head into the games after getting a sweep against Florida Southern, 5-4 and 6-1, in Lakeland, Fla. on April 12.

In the first game, three Sailfish had multi-hit performances. Mari Stokes finished 2-for-4, scoring two runs while Erica Walters was also 2-for-4 and had a game-leading four RBI. Cassady Faircloth also finished 2-for-4, and scored a run. Overall the team tallied 11 hits, while Chris Donovan and Brianna Parker held the Moccasins to four hits.

Faircloth followed with a 3-for-4 performance with three RBI in game two.

Walters currently leads the Sailfish with a .350 batting average. Caitlin Bouschet lead the team with 28 RBI and 30 runs scored.

Donovan leads Palm Beach Atlantic in the circle with a 14-5 record and 1.62 ERA.

The Series vs. Palm Beach Atlantic
This with be the 44th and 45th meeting between the two teams. With the two wins earlier in the year, the Sharks increased their series advantage to 33-10.

The Sharks topped the Sailfish, 3-2 and 5-4, on March 24 at the Lake Catherine Sportsplex.

In game one, NSU got six hits in the win, four coming off the bats of senior Brittany Phillips (Seminole, Fla.) and junior Katie Kelton (Pembroke Pines, Fla.).

In game two, Devin Higginbotham (Sr., Palatka, Fla.) got her third win, hurling 5.1 innings, giving up four hits, four runs, while only allowing one walk and striking out three, while Sarradet finished the game with her third save.

Live stats (Click HERE) will be available for the doubleheader. Also follow NSU Softball on Twitter through www.twitter.com/NSU_Softball.

For the game results, be sure to check www.NSUSharks.com or sign up to have results sent directly to your cell phone by signing up for SMS text messages by clicking here. For the weekly NSU Shark Athletic news, please sign up for the Shark Alert E-Newsletter by clicking here.