SCF Softball Readies for Suncoast Rival FSW

The SCF softball team (29-9, 4-0 Suncoast) return home for Suncoast Conference play at the SCF Softball Complex as they welcome #1 FSW (36-1, 3-1 Suncoast) for a doubleheader on Thursday, March 21 at 4 and 6 pm.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees are coming off of a split against NJCAA Region 5 El Paso Community College at home winning 5-1 in the first game before losing 6-2 in the second. This was their last non-conference home series.

Currently, the Manatees sit in first place in the Suncoast after FSW lost to HCC (11-14, 1-3 Suncoast) in part of a split and moved up from #5 to #4 in the NJCAA Region 8 Softball Coaches' Poll.

The Manatees were scheduled to resume conference play against St. Pete College on Tuesday, March 19, but was postponed due to rain. Both teams have rescheduled their doubleheader for Thursday, March 28 at 5 and 7 pm in St. Pete.

The Squad:
Remaining hot at the plate is the squad of sophomores Cheyenne Nunez and Haley McFadden and freshmen Madi LoCastro, Lauren Bostwick, Sabrina "Sas" Long, Madelyn Graham and Kailey Christian.

Nunez, the speedster on the team, is batting .351 with 39 hits, 20 RBI, 34 runs and 22 stolen bases. Nunez was 2-for-4 with a stolen base in game two against El Paso CC. Nunez has 45 stolen bases in her career.

McFadden is batting .284 with a home run and 20 RBI despite going 1-for-6 with two RBI against El Paso CC.

LoCastro continues to be effective at the plate as well as on the mound. LoCastro is batting .349 with five home runs and 22 RBI while going 6-1 with a 1.29 ERA and 28 strikeouts. LoCastro did not pitch against El Paso CC and went 0-for-2 with a run scored.

Bostwick is batting .244 with 19 hits, 12 RBI and 18 stolen bases. Bostwick played in game one against El Paso CC going 0-for-2 with an RBI.

Long is batting .366 with two home runs and 28 RBI. Long was 1-for-6 with an RBI against El Paso CC.

Although she went 0-for-3 with a run against El Paso CC, Graham is batting .306 with three home runs and 17 RBI.

Christian is 15-1 with 1.71 ERA and 140 strikeouts on the mound, while at the plate, she is batting .348 with 32 hits and 24 RBI. Christian did not pitch in the series against El Paso CC, but was 2-for-7 with two doubles and two RBI.

Scouting FSW:
The Buccaneers are coming off of a sweep against NJCAA Region 11 Iowa Western winning 16-0 in game one by the mercy rule before winning 7-2 in game two. Currently, the Buccaneers sit in 2nd in the Suncoast behind SCF.

Despite their lone loss to HCC on March 14, FSW remains #1 in the NJCAA Region 8 Softball Coaches' Poll and in the NJCAA DI Softball Top 20 Poll.

Freshman Owen Bowers leads the team with 11 home runs and 51 RBI while batting .435. Bowers was 4-for-7 with three doubles and four RBI in the sweep over Iowa Western.

A couple of other playesr on the offensive front for FSW are freshman Natavia Ellis and Rebeca Laudino.

Ellis is batting .379 with six home runs and 26 RBI despite going 0-for-4 with two RBI against Iowa Western.

Laudino is batting .550 with three home runs, 26 RBI and 32 stolen bases. Laudino was 4-for-7 with three RBI and five runs scored against Iowa Western.

Meanwhile on the mound, sophomore Kelsi Collins and freshman Haley Ellefson have yet to lose any games this season as they combine for a 27-0 record.

Collins is 16-0 with a 1.19 ERA and 133 strikeouts. In her last game against Iowa Western, Collins threw three scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in a no decision. Collins has nine complete games in her name.

Ellefson is 11-0 with a 1.78 ERA and 50 strikeouts while batting .471 with five home runs and 32 RBI. Ellefson threw two scoreless innings in game one against Iowa Western with one strikeout while at the plate, she was a perfect 4-4 with four RBI and two runs scored.

Series History (2015-Present):
The Manatees are 1-7 against the Buccaneers. Last season, the Manatees lost the overall series 4-0. Their lone win was on March 8, 2016 where the Manatees won 2-1.

Follow Along:
Livestats will be available (account needed) and fan can follow both teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFSoftball
FSW: @FSWBucs

Game Changer Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2019/state-college-of-florida-softball-5c4617fc03d69700218c16d3