Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern softball swept the Florida Tech Panthers in two shutout games at the AD Griffin Sports Complex on Friday, April 18^th.

The Sharks scored nine runs in the day and held the Panthers to none to take the series win on Senior Day.

Game One

After an emotional farewell to six seniors, NSU held FIT to three hits and no runs to take the first shutout win of the day, 7-0. Five of the six seniors had a hit in the game with the sixth senior, Jennie Von Doellen (Hudson Bay, Canada) earning the win in the circle. Von Doellen went the distance for the Sharks, allowing only three hits, two walks, no runs and striking out seven

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The Sharks scored two runs on three hits in the bottom of the first to take an early 2-0 lead. Leading off for NSU, Lorena Spaulding (Jr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) was walked to base. Next at-bat, Samira Tanaka (Sr., Sao Paulo, Brazil) advanced Spaulding to second with a sacrifice bunt. Erika Garcia (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) brought Spaulding home on the Sharks' first RBI single of the day. With Garcia on first, Gina Bondarenko (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) singled to right field, allowing Garcia to reach third base. Katrina Ammons (Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.), notched her first RBI on the day on a single up the middle to bring Garcia home and put the Sharks up, 2-0.

NSU scored five more runs in the bottom of the third for a 7-0 lead and eventual win. Tanaka started the scoring drive on a single through the left side. Bondarenko notched her second hit in a row to place two players on base. Ammons brought in the Sharks' third run of the game for back-to-back RBI singles, this one to right field.

With Courtney Bridge (Fr., Port Coquitlam, Canada) pinch-running for Ammons on first, and Bondarenko on third after advancing on a throw, Dakota Villella (Fr., Hollywood, Fla.), reached first on a Panthers' infield error that scored Tanaka. Next at-bat, Rebecca Thornton (Fr., Lodi, Calif.), singled up the middle to score Bridge. Holly Roberson (Sr., Dunnellon, Fla.) notched the final two RBI of the game on a double to right field to push the Sharks up, 7-0.

The Sharks defense secured the win, holding the Panthers to one hit the remainder of the game. Only six FIT runners reached base in the game against Von Doellen, who had six strikeouts, and the senior retired the side 1-2-3 in the 7th for the victory.

Five Sharks had two hits each, including three seniors -- Garcia, Bondarenko and Spicola -- as well as Ammons and Thornton. 

Game Two

The Sharks held the Panthers to no runs for the second consecutive sweep in the series. Inclement weather forced a nearly 2 1/2-hour rain delay in the bottom of the third, when the game was still scoreless. 

Before and after the delay, Thornton threw hitless softball for the first four innings. The Panthers' Taylor Peterson led off the fifth with a clean single to left-center to break up the no-hit bid. The next inning, FIT had two on with one out on back-to-back singles, but Thornton was able to strand both runners in scoring position. 

The Sharks scored the only runs in the game in the bottom of the sixth. Garcia reached base on a fielder's choice to set up the go-ahead run. Next at-bat, Bondarenko singled through the left side to put Garcia in scoring position, before Ammons slammed a double to left center to bring both runners home for the Sharks to take the 2-0 win.





In the final frame, after a leadoff FIT single, a 1-6-3 double play -- Thornton to Tanaka to Garcia -- ended it. Thornton picked up the shutout win, scattering four hits without walking a batter, going the distance on only 74 pitches.

No matter the results of Saturday's game, NSU has clinched the series. The Sharks and Panthers return to the A.D. Griffin Sports Complex to play Friday's rescheduled game against Florida Tech, at 11 a.m.

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