Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. – The Maryville softball team needed some seventh-inning heroics in the second game of the day to salvage a split with Nova Southeastern, losing the first game 3-0 and then bouncing back to take the nightcap 3-2.
The Sharks got on the board with runs in the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead as Nova Southeastern shut the Saints offense down over the first three innings.
Ashley Marks started the Saints off in the fourth with a single, which would be Maryville's only hit of the game, and moved to second on a
Sheridon Sprague fielder's choice to put runners at first and second. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch, but the Sharks left them there with a strikeout and a groundout to get out of the inning. The Saints threatened once again in the sixth as
Kelsey Martin opened the inning with a walk and stole second base. She moved to third on an infield pop-up, but again the Sharks got an out to strand Martin at third.
Alyssa Callans suffered the loss to drop to 4-2 on the year, going the distance and giving up six hits and getting a pair of strikeouts.
Nova Southeastern opened the second game with a home run in the bottom of the first and took advantage of a pair of hits in the fifth to grab a 2-0 lead. The Saints bats finally awoke in the top of the seventh as
Bri Livingston opened the inning with a single into left field, and
Nikki Taylor drilled a double off the top of the wall in left to put runners at second and third.
Casey Ward bought the two home on an infield error to knot the game at 2-2. After Callans came in to pinch run for Ward,
Heather Wernle and
Courtney Ferguson had back-to-back singles to load the bases.
Courtney Klosinski stepped to the plate and delivered a sacrifice fly to right field to score Callans and give the Saints a 3-2 advantage. Taylor sealed the deal for the Saints in the bottom of the inning by putting down the Sharks in order as the Maryville improved to 10-10 on the year.
Taylor earned the win by going seven innings, giving up a pair of runs while scattering only four hits and striking out five Shark batters. Taylor helped her own cause at the plate going 2-for-3 with a run scored while Livingston added two hits and scored a run as well.
Maryville returns home to Weber Field Saturday, March 18, as the Saints take on McKendree University to begin Great Lake Valley Conference play. The doubleheader is set to begin at Noon.
