FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Florida Tech softball concluded their first road Sunshine State Conference series of the season with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Nova Southeastern. Ultimately, the twin bill and series was decided by one big inning in each game as the #15 ranked Sharks showed their might in earning the sweep on the day and series, 8-3 and 5-3.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
GAME ONE:
Final: Florida Tech 3, #15 Nova Southeastern 8
Records: Florida Tech (8-7, 1-4 SSC) | #15 Nova Southeastern (11-2, 5-0 SSC)
Location: AD Griffin Sports Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.  

STATS OF THE GAME:
 

• The Sharks opened their lineup in the bottom of the first against Ella Niles with a leadoff walk to Ryleigh Langwell.
• An Alyssa Drogemuller double and Alexis Smith walk loaded the bases for Brenna Lokeinsky, who reached on a fielder's choice while the forceout was recorded at the plate.
• Madison Fine's single to center plated two to get NSU on the board.
• After the second out was recorded on another fielder's choice, consecutive singles by Alisha Lanyon, Kerstyn Shaw and Maliyah Lawson all drove in runs to cap the five-run frame.
• Tech immediately responded with three of their own in the top of the second, which began with Miranda Schwartz reaching on an error by Lawson in right field.
• Mya Ogbodiewgu reached on an infield single to put runners at the corners.
• An errant throw on a double steal allowed Schwartz to sprint home with the Panthers' first run.
• Samantha Shortal's one-out single to left led to an error on the relay throw and Ogbodiewgu alertly took home to make it 5-2.
• Florida Tech's rally was capped with a sacrifice bunt from Celeste Casillas that brought in Shortal.
• Dawn Pawlak stepped into the circle for the bottom half of the second and escaped a bases loaded, one out jam thanks to a bit of a good fortune.
• A Gianna Russo line drive was knocked down by Schwartz and with the runners all having froze, unsure as to whether the ball was caught, Schwartz threw home to get the lead runner and Jolie Miracle wisely threw to a covering Casillas at third base for the third out.
• Two hit batters and a walk loaded the bases with one out for the Sharks in the bottom of the fourth and they cashed in through a Russo sacrifice fly and Lanyon RBI single to push the lead to 7-3.
• Lawson drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth against Lexi Lueger, advanced to second on a Langwell sacrifice bunt, then to third on a ball that went up the line after being knocked down by Miracle and then scored on a double steal with Smith.
• The Crimson and Gray would only be able to muster two baserunners against Sharks starting pitcher Julia Allen over the final five innings, both of which were walks to start the sixth inning.
• Allen went the distance and did not surrender an earned run in the process while throwing 87 pitches.

 
GAME TWO:
Final: Florida Tech 3, #15 Nova Southeastern 5
Records: Florida Tech (8-8, 1-5 SSC) | #15 Nova Southeastern (12-2, 6-0 SSC)
Location: AD Griffin Sports Complex | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.  

STATS OF THE GAME:
 

• NSU broke through early once again, this time getting their first run off of Alex Hendrian much quicker in the bottom of the first.
• Langwell led off with a single to right, advanced on a sacrifice from Drogemuller, then came in to score on a Smith single to right.
• As they did in game one, Tech provided an instant response in the top of the second as Schwartz led off by taking a 3-2 Brooke Mahaney pitch deep to left for her first home run of the season.
• After the next two batters were retired, Shortal kept the inning going with a single to right. She then stole second and came home to score on Jillian Moeller's second triple of the season to give Florida Tech the lead.
• The lead would hold until the bottom of the fourth, which began with Fine reaching on a hit by pitch.
• Russo reached on a bunt single and then both runners moved into scoring position on a Lanyon sacrifice.
• Hendrian induced a pop out from Vicky Navarro for the second out but then walked Lawson to loaded the bases.
• Langwell tied the game with a single to left and then Drogemuller brought all three baserunners home with a double into left center just beyond the reach of a diving Niles.
• The Panthers nearly leveled the proceedings in the following frame, which Moeller kickstarted with a leadoff double to center.
• After the next two batters were retired, Kelly McLaughlin kept the inning alive with a walk, setting the stage for Miracle, whose single to right drove in Moeller to make it a 5-3 game.
• Schwartz walked to load the bases but Ogbodiewgu grounded into a fielder's choice that ended the threat.
• Tech offered a final shot in the top of the seventh when McLaughlin reached on a two-out bunt single and Miracle then walked to bring Mahaney's day to a close.
• Schwartz connected but just not deep enough to left and the Sharks completed the sweep.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
 

• The Panthers lead the all-time series with Nova Southeastern 36-35.
• This was NSU's third consecutive sweep of Florida Tech.
• Alex Hendrian threw her second complete game of the weekend and eighth of the season, bringing her one shy of her career high of nine, which she tossed during her freshman season.
• Schwartz's home run was the third of her career.

UP NEXT: The Panthers next take to the field on Friday, March 1^st at home as they begin their Sunshine State Conference series against Lynn with a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 P.M.
 
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