Clean Sweep Over Lake Sumter Extends SCF Softball's Winning Streak

The SCF softball team (12-1) finally finished where they started as they completed the suspended game from February 7 against Lake Sumter State College (8-13-1) winning by a final score of 7-2 and then going on to defeat LSSC 6-3 in the first game and 3-0 in the second game. With the win, the Manatees are now 23-2 against the Lakehawks as of 2012. The suspended game was continued at the SCF Softball Complex with SCF still the away team.

"Lake Sumter is a very good opponent with good speed and slappers, while their pitching was keeping us a little off balance from time-to-time, so they did a great job there," said head coach Mandy Scheurman. "We were able to get some key hits when we needed to get them and our pitching did a really good job pounding the zone today."*

Suspended Game:
Freshman Ashley Zientek earned her fourth win of the season after throwing a complete game, giving up both runs on three hits while walking three batters and striking out eight.

Sophomore Emily Murphy was credited with her second loss after a third of an inning. Murphy gave up six runs on four hits while walking one batter.

Freshman Ember Oglesby gave up one run on four hits while walking three and striking out two in 4.2 innings. Classmate Cissy Doolittle threw two scoreless innings, while giving up two hits.

Sophomore Madison Yoder was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI while freshmen Madelyn Graham and Madi LoCastro each went 2-for-3 with a run and a walk. LoCastro also added an RBI.

Freshman Makayla Benavidez (1-for-4) and sophomore Cheyenne Nunez (0-for-2) each had two stolen bases.

Game One:
For game one, Schuerman sent Zientek back to the mound while LSSC head coach Jay Miller sent sophomore Allie Geier to counter.

The Lakehawks would take a 2-0 lead at the top of the first after two RBI singles off the bats of sophomores Ashlyn Allen and Mackenzie Reeves. Scheurman decided to make a change and send LoCastro to the mound, who was able to get all three outs with ease.

The Manatees managed to answer back in the bottom of the second. Beginning with lead-off single from LoCastro before moving to second from a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Haley McFadden and to third on a groundout from freshman Sabrina Long, sophomore Kyria Holcomb would send LoCastro home with a single to make it 2-1 LSSC. Freshman Nicci Palumbo would then tie the score at 2-2 after sending Holcomb home with an RBI single of her own. Classmate Lauren Bostwick would then send Palumbo home on a hard ground ball to give SCF a 3-2 lead.

While LoCastro continued putting zeros on Lake Sumter's scoreboard, the Manatees added another run to the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth. After a lead-off single from Nunez before stealing second and third, freshman Kailey Christian would send her home with a sacrifice bunt to make it 4-2 SCF.

By the bottom of the sixth, the Manatees added their final runs of the game from a two run shot from Long. This was her second home run of the season.

At the top of the seventh, LoCastro was able to get the first two outs, but a two-out single by sophomore Taylor Turner, which was followed by a stolen base, put her in a little bit of a fix. The Lakehawks would cut the deficit by three after sophomore Jenna Curtis sent Turner home with a single, but that was all they could produce as Allen would strike out to end the game.

Zientek would earn a no-decision after throwing one inning while giving up two runs on four hits with one strikeout.

LoCastro would earn her second win of the season after throwing six innings while giving up one run on four hits, walking one batter and striking out four. LoCastro would also finish 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Geier would be credited with her second loss of the season after throwing four innings, giving up three runs on six hits while walking one and striking out two.

Doolittle threw two innings and gave up three runs on three runs on three hits.

Long (2-for-3, home run and two RBI) and Palumbo (2-for-2, one RBI and one run) also finished with two hits each.

Nunez finished 1-for-3 with a run scored while adding two stolen bases.

Game Two:
For game two, Schuerman sent Christian to the mound while Miller would try to counter by sending sophomore Abbey Primavera to pitch.

While Christian breezed through the first inning with three strikeouts at the top of the first, in the bottom half, she drew a two-out walk and scored from a two-run shot off the bat of LoCastro that made it 2-0 SCF. This was LoCastro's fourth home run of the season.

Christian continued to breeze through the second and third inning while the Manatees their third run in the bottom of the fourth. After Nunez began with a lead-off single while advancing to second on a throwing error. After a single from Christian sent Nunez to third, the Manatees attempted a double steal as Nunez stole home and scored to make it 3-0 while Christian was caught stealing.

Despite that, Christian continued to do her job on the mound as she continued to add strikeouts in her name which included striking out the side in the fifth inning.

In the sixth, Christian started to struggle after giving up a lead-off single and Palumbo fielding error, but with a determined effort she was able to get out of the situation and breezed through the seventh with ease for the win. Christian earned her sixth win of the season after a two-hit shutout while striking out a season-high 11 batters while going 1-for-2 with a run scored

Primavera would be credited with her second loss of the season after six innings, giving up all three runs on five hits while walking two and striking out one.

LoCastro was the only Manatee with a multi-hit game as she finished 2-for-3 with the home run and two RBI.

While Nunez added another stolen base, freshman Lauren Bostwick added two stolen bases of her own as well as sophomore Megan Seeds.

"Defensively, we were very solid and picked up key two out hits when we needed it," said Schuerman. "Our overall team approach was very good."

Up Next:
The Manatees will head to neutral grounds as they travel to Longwood, Florida to compete in the two-day Seminole Tournament. The Manatees will play Tallahassee Community College (7-9) at 1:45 pm and St. Johns River State (6-8) at 3:45 pm on Saturday, February 23 and NJCAA Region 17 Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (9-7) at 9 am and NCAA Region 7 Chattanooga State Community College (6-1) at 11 am on Sunday, February 24.

"I just hope that our kind of mantra this year is get an inch better every day and that's really what we're trying to do," said Schuerman on the tournament. "Each day, we're trying to get an inch better and I think if we continue to do that, we should continue to win some good ballgames."

*Side Note: This was my first postgame interview with Coach Schuerman.