Box Score FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – For the second weekend in a row, the Nova Southeastern University softball team (8-11, 0-4 SSC) returned to the AD Griffin Sports Complex to host a three-game Sunshine State Conference series, this time falling to the Eckerd Tritons (21-2, 4-0 SSC) 8-3 on Friday night in the opener.
 
The night started with fun and festivities during pregame as the current Shark players welcomed back several former NSU softball players for alumni night. Among the alums recognized was former All-American and inaugural NSU Athletics Hall of Fame member Shannon Sawyer from the class of 1999, who also threw out the ceremonial first pitch to start the game.
 
As the game got underway, neither team held an advantage over the other through the first three innings of play. However, in the bottom half of the third inning, the Sharks pieced together a three-run frame to take the lead. Te Reo Powhiri Matautia (Jr., Auckland, New Zealand) and Rebecca Thornton (So., Lodi, Calif.) led off the inning with back-to-back singles and later advanced bases on a wild pitch. Angie Montalvo (Fr., Miami, Fla.) then walked to load the bases. The Sharks first run was scored on an RBI groundout and then Thornton scored on the inning's second wild pitch. Taylor Rotz (So., Pittsburg, Pa.) was then subbed in as a pinch hitter and drew a walk with the bases loaded that plated Montalvo for NSU's third run and 3-0 lead.
 
The Tritons answered in the top half of the fifth scoring one run when Kara Oberer doubled in Eckerd's first run of the game and narrowed the Sharks' lead 3-1. After a scoreless sixth, Eckerd's bats came alive in the final frame erupting for eight hits and seven runs.
 
Carrie Shere led off the inning with a solo homer to right center, which was followed by three consecutive Triton hits that resulted in two more runs. After a groundout to first and another run added to the board, two more singles resulted in another pair of Triton runs. The inning ended almost as it started when Shere hit an RBI triple to left center giving the Tritons an 8-3 lead.
 
Matoutia picked up the only Shark hit in the bottom of the inning, as the Sharks were unable to make anything happen to end the game.
 
The Sharks were led at the plate by Lorena Spaulding who finished 3-for-4 at the plate, while Matautia and Thornton added a pair of hits. Oberer led Eckerd going 3-for-5, while Kaycie Duncan and Shere contributed two RBI each. Eckerd's Amber Hay (12-2) got the win for the Tritons giving up three runs on nine hits, but also walked four and struck out three. Although Comito got the starting nod for NSU, Thornton (7-3) took the loss after giving up five runs on five hits through one and a third innings of work.
 
The final two games of the series will resume on Saturday, March 7 at 1 pm at the AD Griffin Sports Complex.