Rachel Talenfeld hit a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate against Mercyhurst.

Women's Softball Moves to an Overall 10-4 Season Record

By: Craig Heenighan

Posted: 3/2/10

Valdosta State

The NSU women's softball team dropped only their second game of the season as they were defeated 7-3 by the number six nationally ranked Valdosta State Blazers on Feb, 19.

The Sharks exploded out of the traps against the Blazers scoring three runs in the first inning. Blazers were unable to score for the opening four innings courtesy of solid pitching from junior Lexi Sarradet. Valdosta finally got on the board and they did so in style, tying the game at three apiece courtesy of a three run homer.

The Blazers secured the comeback victory in the seventh inning as they scored the go ahead run on a throwing error with two outs on the board. Valdosta would go on too score three runs in the inning to claim the victory.

Junior Brittney Phillips had a solid performance at the plate despite the defeat as she went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Junior Rachel Talenfeld went 2-for-3.

West Florida

The Sharks bounced back in fine style as they dispatched of West Florida for the second time this season by a score of 7-4.

NSU took the lead in the top of the second, however the lead proved to be short lived as the Argonauts of West Florida quickly responded with two runs of their own in the same inning. The Sharks snatched the lead back immediately with two runs in the top of the third inning, a lead that they would not surrender for the remainder of the contest. The Sharks further extended their lead with two more runs in the top of the fourth to lead 5-2. The Argonauts scored runs in the fourth and seventh innings sandwiched either side of two more Shark runs as NSU went on to claim the victory 7-4.

Senior Brittney Lamb led the Sharks with 3-for-4 hitting including one run and fellow senior Patty Rivero hit her first home run of the season. Pitcher Dani Caron continued her fine early season form allowing three earned runs and striking out five batters to preserve her perfect 4-0 early season record.

Drury

The Sharks continued their impressive form with a victory over Drury University by a score of 3-1 on Feb, 20.

The game remained scoreless for the opening four innings until Drury took the lead with a run in the fifth courtesy of a Sharks throwing error. The Sharks came alive after hits from Talenfeld, Rivero and junior Sarah Hart loaded the bases. Senior Jessica Hernandez hit a double to left centerfield to drive all three bases home and give the Sharks a 3-1 lead.

Hernandez led the Sharks with 2-for-3 hitting with her double in he fifth being the catalyst for the Sharks victory.

Flagler

In their second game of the day, the Sharks fell to a shock defeat against the Flagler College Saints by a score of 2-0.

The Sharks struggled to find any real rhythm in the contest as they were unable to get on the scoreboard. NSU amassed six hits however; no one Shark had more than one hit. The two Flagler runs came in the fourth and sixth inning.

Despite the defeat Caron impressed on the mound in what was her first defeat of the season, striking out two batters, allowing only three hits and no earned runs.

Florida Tech

The Sharks dropped back-to-back matches for the first time this season as they were defeated by the Florida Tech Panthers 2-1 on Feb, 21.

No runs were scored by either team in the opening four innings of the contest and it was indeed the Sharks who broke the deadlock in the fifth. Hart secured her second RBI of the season as her single to past second base drove Lamb home who had advanced to third.

The Panthers reacted immediately scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the lead.

Drama ensued towards the end of the game as Phillips doubled to left field and senior Dana Bergner hit a ball over to right field to claim base. Caron pinch hit to centerfield but the Panther centerfielder threw a perfect throw to home plate that narrowly beat Phillips to clinch the game for Florida Tech.

St Leo

NSU bounced back in fine style as they got back to winning ways with a 4-1 victory over the St Leo Lions.

The Sharks scored one run in innings two-through-five as they looked in complete control of the encounter. Leading 4-0 in the fifth inning Caron had an opportunity to close out the game with the bases loaded and two outs on the board but she failed to execute. The Sharks ran out comfortable winners despite the Lions earning a run in the top of the fifth.

The Sharks were led offensively by seniors Noemi Luciani and Brittney Lamb with Luciani scoring two runs on 1-for-2 with Lamb contributing with 2-for-3 hitting.

Mercyhurst-Game 1

The Sharks continued their impressive form as they dispatched of the Mercyhurst Lakers by an impressive 7-0 score-line on Feb, 23.

Despite the Sharks' landslide victory the night belonged to Caron who pitched a perfect game on the mound, the first of her career at NSU. Although coming close in the past, it is the first time Caron has achieved the feat in Sharks colors. En-route to the perfect game she retired 21 straight batters striking out four in the process as she claimed her fifth win of the season.

The game remained close for most of the early play and it wasn't until the bottom of the fifth inning that the Sharks put some breathing space between themselves and the Sharks. A grand slam courtesy of Phillips saw the Sharks home with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Caron, Bergner and senior Lauren Lopez all garnered runs in the one-sided victory.

Mercyhurst-Game 2

In the second game of the night things went from bad to worse for the Lakers of Mercyhurst as they were again comprehensively beaten, this time 9-0.

Despite the landslide score-line the game remained close as the Sharks led 1-0 heading into the fifth inning. The Sharks scored a whopping eight runs to claim victory in the bottom of the fifth. Hernandez, Talenfeld, Phillips and Rivero had garnered multiple RBI's in the contest. Talenfeld led the way for the Sharks as she was a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate earning two runs and two RBI.

The Sharks move to an overall season record of 10-4 as they look to continue their impressive early season form as they compete in the Delta State tournament in their next outing.