MELBOURNE, Fla. – After a 387-day hiatus from their last game, the Nova Southeastern softball team returned to the field with a point to prove, which they did with a doubleheader sweep over the Florida Tech Panthers that included five home runs and five extra base hits. It took just five innings for the Sharks to win game one 8-0, before topping the home team 9-2 in game two on Thursday night.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP (GAME ONE – 6 INNINGS):
FINAL: Nova Southeastern Sharks 8 (W: E. Hess, 1-0), Florida Tech Panthers 0 (L: J. Lawlis, 2-5)
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern (1-0, 1-0 SSC), Florida Tech (5-7, 4-6 SSC)
LOCATION: Nancy Bottge Field | Melbourne, Fla.
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
TOP 2ND | With Juliana Speranza on first after drawing a one-out walk, Samantha Burke kicked off her Shark career with a two-run homer over the left-center fence to give the Sharks a 2-0 advantage.
TOP 3RD | Tia Williams made it a 3-0 game with a lead-off home run also over the left center fence. After a walk drawn by Kerstyn Shaw and an infield single by Madison Fine, both runners stole their next base to put runners on second and third. Two batters later, an Allie Janowiak RBI-single and an error by Florida Tech’s center fielder score the two baserunners for a 5-0 Shark lead.
TOP 5TH | With the Sharks in scoring position with Fine at second and Burke at first, Janowiak made it an 8-0 game in favor of the Sharks with a three-run homerun to left field.
INSIDE THE STATS:
- Janowiak was 3-for-3 with five RBI and one run scored.
- Burke was 1-for-2 two runs scored and two RBI.
- Williams went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.
- Both Sam Sisco and Alexis Smith were 1-for-4, while Fine was 1-for-2 with two runs scored.
- Ryleigh Langwell finished 1-for-3.
- Emily Hess (1-0) earned the win after a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits in from 17 at-bats. She also struck out six with four walks.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- In 29 games in 2020, the Sharks only tallied two home runs. They beat that number in one game.
- Janowiak’s home run in the fifth was the first of her Shark career. Her three hits and five RBI were both career-highs.
- This was Hess’ fourth shutout in her Shark career.
- The Sharks force Florida Tech to utilize three different pitchers.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP (GAME TWO):
FINAL: Nova Southeastern Sharks 9 (W: M. Johnson, 1-0), Florida Tech Panthers 2 (L: S. Guider, 2-3)
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern (2-0, 1-0 SSC), Florida Tech (5-8, 4-6 SSC)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
TOP 3RD | With two outs on the board and Smith on second, Shaw doubled to left center to bring her home and put the Sharks on the board before the next batter, Fine, homered to left field for a 3-0 NSU lead.
TOP 4TH | Leadoff batter Janowiak put the Sharks in scoring position with a double to left field and soon after was pushed to third base on a single up the middle by Sisco. The next batter, Smith, used a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Janowiak, making it 4-0 before an RBI-single by Williams scored Sisco, pushing the Sharks to a 5-0 advantage.
TOP 5TH | Shaw reached on a single to right center and two batters later, Juliana Speranza advanced her to second on a single through the right side. The Sharks made it 6-0 as Burke doubled to center to score Shaw and after a Florida Tech pitching change, Janowiak used a sacrifice fly to center to score Speranza.
BOTTOM 5TH | The Panthers tallied their first runs of the day in the fifth as back-to-back RBI-singles by Victoria Szrom and Chloe French made it a five-run game at 7-2.
TOP 6TH | With two outs on the board, Williams singled through the left side before Shaw brought her home on yet another homer by the Sharks to make it 9-2.
INSIDE THE STATS:
- The Sharks outhit the Panthers 14-7, with eight different Sharks recording hits.
- Shaw finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI.
- Speranza was 2-for-3 and scored once.
- Sisco, Williams and Burke all went 2-for-4, and Sisco and Williams each scored once. Williams and Burke had one RBI apiece.
- Fine, Smith and Janowiak each had one hit in their game two outings. Fine had two RBI and Smith and Janowiak each had one.
- Mikayla Johnson earned her first collegiate win, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing two runs on five hits.
- Hess finished the final 2.2 innings and tallied four strikeouts, allowing no hits.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- NSU’s 14 hits ties their season high from 2020.
UP NEXT
The Sharks will continue to play against the Florida Tech Panthers in an SSC doubleheader showdown at the AD Griffin Sports Complex on Saturday, April 3. First pitch of game one is scheduled from 2:00 p.m.
SHARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Follow along with live updates on Twitter by following @NSU_Softball.
