FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University softball (11-24, 1-13 SSC) saw a 4-0 and a 6-4 loss to Sunshine State Conference (SSC) opponent Florida Tech (30-11, 8-3 SSC) on Thursday night.
 
Megan Granitto (Fr., Wellington, Fla.) moves to 5-6 on the season with the loss in game one giving up five hits, four runs and earning two strikeouts. Rachel Pence (22-8) picked up the win only relinquishing one hit and throwing a career-high 16 strikeouts.
 
Freshman Erica Winter (Blaine, Minn) (2-8) pitched all seven innings in the second loss allowing six hits, five earned runs and four walks but striking out five. Amanda Kahn started the game in the circle for the Panthers but was replaced by Pence in the bottom of the fourth inning after giving up four hits and three runs. Pence (23-8) got the win by holding the Sharks to three hits, one run and earning five strikeouts.
 
Game 1
Florida Tech would take the early lead with one run in the top of the first off a RBI triple by Krista Patterson. The Panthers would go three up, three down for the next three innings as the Shark defense held strong.
 
The Panthers went on to score two more runs in the top of the sixth as a Shark error would let the first runner on and a single from Elaine Brown would drive in the run. Patterson picked up another RBI to put the team up 3-0.
 
The final run for Florida Tech came off a RBI double to left by Makayla Palmer in the top of the seventh. Ashley Roe (Jr., Flower Mound, Texas) had the Sharks' lone hit of the game when she singled to left field in the bottom of the third.
 
Game 2
The second game of the night proved to be much more competitive. Florida Tech was still on the board first by earning three runs in the top of the third. A Hailey Leonard single to left center would score two and the third would come from a RBI single from Emily York with two outs.
 
NSU answered with three runs of their own all coming with two outs in the bottom of the third. The rally began with a single through the left side by Granitto. Katey Blummer (Jr., Naples, Fla.) had a single of her own followed by a RBI double by Jones to bring home Granitto. Haley Gonzales (So., Boca Raton, Fla.) comes up with a big double to left center to tie things up.
 
The Sharks took a 4-3 lead in the fifth. With two outs, Roe tripled to left center and came around to score off a single by Dakota Villella (Jr., Hollywood, Fla.). Unfortunately, NSU would relinquish the lead in the top of the sixth as Ashley Montion singled up the middle to bring in Leonard and York scored on a muffed throw by Shark catcher Blummer.
 
Gonzales would see another hit in the bottom of the seventh with two outs to make her 2-for-3 with two RBI in the game but was left on first as the Sharks fell 6-4 to Florida Tech.
 
The Sharks will play the final game of the Florida Tech series on Friday, March 25 at 1 p.m. at the A.D. Griffin Sports Complex. The links to the live stats and live video are available HERE.