FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Sharks softball team shocked the crowd on Saturday afternoon, rallying back from a 9-0 deficit in game one, scoring 11 unanswered runs to earn the series victory over the Florida Southern Moccasins. NSU completed the sweep in game two, once again earning a come-from-behind victory, 3-2.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP (GAME ONE):
FINAL: Nova Southeastern Sharks 11 (W: S. Foster, 6-3), Florida Southern Moccasins 9 (L: K. Cowart, 0-2)
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern (11-9, 2-6 SSC), Florida Southern (7-9, 0-5 SSC)
LOCATION: AD Griffin Sports Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
TOP 2ND | The Mocs exploded in the second inning for nine runs on nine hits. With no outs on the board, the visitors took advantage of an RBI-single by Kelsey Peck and then loaded the bases before a hit by pitch-RBI made it 2-0. A two RBI-double and back-to-back RBI-singles by Florida Southern pushed their lead to 6-0. Two batters later, Alex Mace doubled to left center, scoring three to make it 9-0 in Florida Southern's favor.
BOTTOM 3RD | After a sacrifice bunt by
Tia Williams pushed
Mya Maddox to third and
Sam Sisco to second, an RBI-double by
Juliana Speranza brought both baserunners home to put the Sharks on the board and make it a seven-run game at 9-2.
BOTTOM 4TH | After reaching on an infield single and advancing all the way to third on a throwing error by FSC's pitcher,
Alexis Smith was brought home on an RBI-single up the middle by
Sydney Lageyre. After two outs, the Sharks' bats weren't done as
Tia Williams scored Lageyre with a single to left field. The next batter, Speranza, was hit by a pitch before
Alex Suzuki singled up the middle to make it a 9-5 game. After a pitching change by the Mocs and a walk drawn by
Allie Janowiak, Hayley Hendricks singled up the middle to plate Speranza to cut Florida Southern's lead to just three at 9-6.
BOTTOM 5TH | The Sharks tied things up in the fifth as an RBI-triple by Williams scored Lageyre and Sisco, bringing the deficit to just one run, before an RBI-single to third by Suzuki scored Williams to make it 9-9.
BOTTOM 6TH | Leading the inning off getting hit by a pitch, Hendricks was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Smith before coming home on a stand up triple by Lageyre to give NSU its first lead of the game, 10-9. After another Moc pitching change, a wild pitch allowed enough time for Lageyre to cross the plate to tally the last run of the game with NSU up 11-9.
INSIDE THE STATS:
- The Sharks out-hit the Mocs 14-12, with Lageyre leading the way with three hits in her four at-bats. The senior also tallied two RBI, was walked once and scored three times.
- Sisco and Williams were both 2-for-4 and each scored twice. Williams also finished with three RBI.
- Fernandez and Suzuki were each 2-for-2 and Suzuki recorded two RBI.
- Hendricks and Smith both went 1-for-2 and Hendricks tallied one RBI.
- Speranza recorded two RBI in her 1-for-3 outing, scoring once.
- Foster put in the work and earned the win, going the distance and allowing nine runs on 12 hits, striking out five. After the nine-run second inning, Foster allowed only three hits in the next five innings.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- The Sharks' 14 hits are the most tallied by the squad this season. Their 11 runs are also a season-high.
- Hendricks tallied her fist RBI of her Shark career in the bottom of the fourth.
- Lageyre's three hits and two RBI are also season highs.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP (GAME TWO):
FINAL: Nova Southeastern Sharks 3 (W: E. Hess, 6-6), Florida Southern Moccasins 2 (K. Beachum, 4-5)
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern (12-9, 3-6 SSC), Florida Southern (7-10, 0-6 SSC)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
TOP 2ND | The Mocs were the first to score, taking a 1-0 lead on an RBI-single to center by Celia Higgins.
BOTTOM 2ND | The Sharks responded in the home half of the inning, tying the game 1-1 as Janowiak double to right center, bringing home
Ryleigh Langwell, who pinch ran for Speranza.
TOP 4TH | Florida Southern took back the lead two innings later, 2-1, as Higgins tallied her second RBI of the game to bring home leadoff batter Kensie Green.
BOTTOM 5TH | A two-RBI single up the middle by Suzuki stole the show in the bottom half of the sixth inning, plating Sisco and Williams as the Sharks grabbed the lead 3-2 and never let go.
INSIDE THE STATS:
- NSU tallied nine hits to FSC's five, with two Sharks racking up multiple hits. Maddox was 2-for-3 and Suzuki was 2-for-2, tallying the two game-winning RBI.
- Janowiak was 1-for-3 with one RBI.
- Lageyre, Sisco and Williams were also 1-for-3. Sisco and Williams each scored once.
- Emily Hess was the winning pitcher as she tossed all 7.0 innings and allowed two runs on five hits.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- This was the Sharks' first SSC series win of the season.
- With the win, the overall series between the Mocs and the Sharks sits at 31-28 in favor of NSU.
UP NEXT
The Sharks will host Lander in a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday, March 5. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Follow along with live updates on Twitter by following @NSU_Softball.
