Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University softball team (11-15, 1-8 SSC) dropped two games of a doubleheader Saturday to the Saint Leo Lions (28-8, 4-5 SSC) at the AD Griffin Sports Complex. The Sharks dropped game one, 1-0, and game two, 4-0, to lose the weekend series, 2-1.
 
GAME ONE
The Lions evened up the weekend series with a 1-0 win early on Saturday. Rebecca Thornton (So., Lodi, Calif.) (9-6) earned the loss despite a strong outing. She held the Lions to one run and six hits, striking out two batters. She shut the Lions out over the first six innings before giving up the game's only run in the seventh.
 
The Sharks were held to four hits in game one, but nearly scored in the opening frame.Lorena Spaulding (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) led off with a bunt single and stole two straight bases. The centerfielder reached third with no outs, but a walk, double play and a groundout ended the side.
 
Saint Leo left six runners on base over the course of the first four innings but could not score. NSU once again rallied in the sixth inning, when Dakota Villella (So., Hollywood, Fla.) reached base on her second walk of the day. Katrina Ammons (Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.) hit a shallow single to centerfield, putting runners on the corners. The rally came with two outs on the board and the Sharks could not come through with a hit on the next at bat.
 
In the top of the seventh, Saint Leo led off with a double from Brittany Creamer. The Lions would score the only run of the game by bunting her to third and flying out to left field on a sacrifice. NSU had one side left to mount a comeback, but struck out twice and grounded out to end the game.
 
The Sharks only had four hits in the contest, two from Spaulding, one from Ammons and a leadoff hit in the third inning from Haley Gonzales (Fr., Boca Raton, Fla.).
 
GAME TWO
The Lions won the series with back-to-back shutouts, taking the second game by a score of 4-0. Maegan Lee (Sr., Miami, Fla.) (1-4) earned the decision, allowing seven hits and four runs. She struck out five batters while allowing only two walks.
 
The Sharks were once again held to four hits, all of which were scattered in individual innings. Spaulding led the game off with an infield single but could not move past second base. Katey Blummer (So., Naples, Fla.) earned a single in the second inning but was caught trying to extend it into a double.
 
Spaulding singled once again in the third with two outs, but no rally could be mounted. Finally, Ammons led off with a single to left centerfield in the fourth, but two straight fielder's choices and a line out killed any momentum it created. The Sharks were shut down offensively in the final three innings.
 
On the other end, Saint Leo took the lead in the third inning on a two-out RBI infield single from Tiffany Thompson. In the fifth, the Lions scored a pair of runs on a triple from Adriana Sanders, scoring once again on two outs. The final run came in the sixth on a leadoff home run from Cassie Boggs past right centerfield.
 
The Sharks will look to rebound on Tuesday when they host Albany State in a doubleheader at 5 p.m.