Freshman Maddie Antenucci poured in a game-high 18 points, along with five rebounds and three assists, in her collegiate debut to lead the FGCU women's basketball team to an 86-40 win over Florida Memorial in the season opener on Wednesday inside Alico Arena.
With the win, which featured six players reach double-digit scoring totals, FGCU is now 14-5 all-time in season openers, as well as 17-2 in home openers, including a streak of five straight victories. On top of that, the Eagles are now 13-0 all-time against Florida Memorial.
"It was good to get a game under our belt," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "We have a lot of new players, and a lot of them who are having their first college game. We haven't been able to scrimmage this year, so this was our first chance to execute a game plan and how we run things. It was definitely uneven, but there were some really good performances. We'll try to build from here."
Before she even scored her first points, which came via a steal and fast break layup under a minute into the game, Antenucci made history by becoming just the fourth true freshman to start her first collegiate game in the Green and Blue. She joined Tytionia Adderly (2016), Katie Meador (2012) and Courtney Chihil (2008). All of her points came in the first half, but with her total, she broke Adrianne McNally's record (16 vs West Florida in 2006) for most points scored by a freshman in her first game in program history.
Grad Student Andrea Cecil who competed in her first game with the Eagles as a graduate transfer, added 13 in her FGCU debut while chipping in five rebounds and three assists. Seniors Alyssa Blair and Sheahen Dowling each contributed 12 points, while Blair led all players in rebounds (9) and steals (4). Junior Tanner Bryant (11 points, six rebounds, four assists) and redshirt junior Emma List (10 points, six rebounds, two steals) also notched double-figures. For List it's her career-high while wearing the Green and Blue.
Freshmen Tomia Johnson (6) and Seneca Hackley (2) also reached the scoring column in their collegiate debuts, while Hackley ripped down eight boards and dished four assists in 21 minutes. Johnson added three steals, and redshirt freshman Kierra Adams totaled two points in her first game with FGCU after redshirting last season.
As a team, FGCU assisted on 20 of 29 field goals as five players had at least three apiece. Four players notched at least two steals and all but one player had at least three boards. All of Antenucci's five rebounds came on the offensive glass.
Milestone Watch
The Eagles made 10-for-41 from long distance, which is the 281st game in program history with double-figures as a team. Furthermore, FGCU has now made 2,858 3-pointers inside Alico Arena all-time as they approach the 3,000 milestone.
On top of that, FGCU improved its all-time record to 494-95 (.839), which puts the Eagles just six victories away from the 500 milestone.
Individual, Cecil pushed her NCAA scoring total to 887 in her 91st career game.
Next Up
FGCU will be back in action this week in the Gulf Coast Showcase's Beach Bubble as the Eagles are set to host No. 24 Missouri State on Friday, No. 14 Arkansas on Saturday and Davidson on Sunday. All three games are closed to the general public
About Me
Looking Back to the SCF 2019-20 Athletic Season
As it sits, the 2019-20 athletic season for State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) has come to a close early due to the pandemic of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). It truly is upsetting for not just for myself and all the coaches and athletes that were playing their sports in the spring, but for the sophomores that worked their tails off to compete, and now it's been tarnished.
This was not only happening to SCF and the junior colleges in the FCSAA, but it is also happening to other junior colleges nationally in the NJCAA (D1, D2 and D3) as well as colleges/universities in the NCAA (D1, D2 and D3), NAIA, California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA), National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA) and Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC). In total, over 2,000 junior colleges and universities (2,291 to be exact) had to stop the seasons of their spring sports because of COVID-19. We're talking about over 10 million student-athletes not being able to play their final year(s) of eligibility this year as a result.
I could sense a lot of pain for all the athletes at SCF that are sophomores and are unable to play in the spring because of this pandemic and I understand it sucks, but I guess in a way it is for our own safety.
On a positive note, in a statement by the NJCAA, they indicated that, "no spring sport student-athlete who was enrolled at a member college in 2020 will be charged a year of participation." This will preserve the season of eligibility for beach volleyball, baseball, softball, and tennis.
Now what does it mean for the remaining 24 sophomores for baseball, softball, tennis and beach volleyball? Will they get their final year of eligibility back? Will they be listed as 'redshirt' sophomores? The answer to that is yes they will get their final year of eligibility back as the NJCAA will give back all spring sports their eligibility, but as far as being dubbed as 'redshirts' I'm not sure.
The thing is it will take a good amount of time to put all the pieces together before making final decisions on what should happen, but as it looks at the moment, the 24 combined sophomores will get their one remaining year of eligibility back and do have the option to stay and play for SCF or continue on with their current paths.
But to steer on a positive path of the 2019-20 athletic season, let's look back and talk about some memorable moments that the Manatees have produced for all six sports along with the stories I wrote about them.
SCF Indoor and Beach Volleyball:
Lets begin with indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. Yes, the past five seasons have gone down for the SCF indoor volleyball team and they did finish 5-19 overall with a 2-4 record in the Suncoast this past season. Originally, they were 3-23 overall with an 0-6 record in conference play, but they moved to third place in the Suncoast standings, and the reason why SCF moved from last place to third in the Suncoast was because of St. Pete College. SPC had an ineligible player that played during the season. The old saying is this: "You cheat, you're out."
We even played Florida Southwestern in their inaugural season despite falling to them in both matchups.
The first story I did on the volleyball team was on their season schedule released where I talked about who they were facing and the players to introduce.
One of SCF volleyball's memorable moments came from sophomore Sydney Jaco when she reached 1,000 digs in her career in a win against the Webber International junior varsity team. Jaco ended up finishing 1,230 career digs at the end of her sophomore year and was named a member of the All-Suncoast Second Team and a five-time member of the FCSAA 25 Dig Club. All-in-all, Jaco finished her career as a 21-time FCSAA 25 Dig Club for the Manatees, a one-time All-Suncoast First Team, two-time All-Suncoast All-Academic Team and one-time NJCAA National Player of the Week.
With volleyball, I was even able to do two stories on two of the players, Jaco and freshman Leilani Wilcox-Nanai. Truthfully, they were nervous about having a story on them while I was nervous on starting the interviews with them. In fact, Jaco and Wilcox-Nanai were the first players I did an interview with on the win during Jaco's milestone.
Some of my favorite moments from the 2019 season with SCF indoor volleyball included doing the national anthem for their sophomore night and giving one of the assistant coaches and the players goosebumps despite the loss to Monroe College, but the most memorable was when Jaco, Barbora Tichackova, Lisa Jaunet and Emily Sauceda all came to see me at Maple Street and eat there too, which meant a whole lot to me. (*Link in description)
Now with the addition of beach volleyball, they finished their campaign 3-0 for their inaugural season, even if it was cut short with the majority of the team from the indoor team. I guess in a way, the inaugural season was just a taste of what to expect for next season.
I was so thankful to meet the several newcomers in the freshmen in Wilcox-Nanai as well as the others (Jaunet, Bailey Sikkema, Jazmin Spencer, Brooke Henry, Gracee Carpino, Noelie Claude and Britzy Lucas) and I'm also thankful to meet the returners in Jaco as well as Tichackova, Sauceda, Daviya Bernard and Hannah Strickland). They all made such an impact for SCF volleyball, but I know that where they go, the journey leads them to their success.
SCF Basketball:
I look back to my first story on the SCF basketball team on a preview of the Manatees playing Gordon State College at home. Before I got started on it, I first decided to meet the head coach for SCF, Tom Parks. He seemed like a really good guy. Truthfully, he reminded me of a taller version of Brock Erickson, which actually led to me being a little intimidated by him.
After the game against Gordon State, Parks was the first person I did an interview after the game on the win and at first I was a little nervous, but it worked out well in the end. When the first Suncoast Conference game at home against SPC commenced, I got Parks's comments, of course, but then I also got then sophomore DeAndre Osuigwe and then freshman D'Moi Hodge and their take on the game.
I remember in one of the stories against Hillsborough, Park said a meaningful message on my stories.
"I just want to thank you Pat for doing this because I think it's unbelievable with your passion and the fact that you come and support us every game with your notebook writing stats and how serious you take this. It means a lot to our program and we really appreciate your support and writing about us on your blog. It really means a lot to us."
"1st Herd" finished the 2018-19 season 18-15 overall with a 6-6 Suncoast record. Heading towards the postseason, mainly the Suncoast Conference Tournament, coach Parks considered me as a member of what he dubbed as "1st Herd". I never asked where the idea came into play for that, but I guess the old saying is "Some things are just better left unsaid... for now".
Fast forwarding to this year and it was very memorable. I mean to start it off, we had the debuts of seven players. Truthfully, this season and last season were the best seasons that SCF Basketball has had in a long time as we finished 21-11 overall with a 5-7 record in the Suncoast. The 21 wins were the most we had in program history. We won the Suncoast Conference Tournament and made it to the FCSAA State Tournament for the second straight season before falling in the first round of the state tournament to Tallahassee (TCC).
One of the big moments from the 2019-20 season for SCF basketball team came off the shot of Hodge where he set two scoring records: most points in a single season and most career points. Hodge broke and set both records during the Suncoast Tournament. I even got to travel with the team for the game and cut a piece of the net after the win, even if we had to cut it at Hal Chasey Gymnasium.
From my personal favorite moments with SCF Basketball, I have two special ones that were very heartfelt and meaningful.
The first was being able to travel with the basketball team for the Suncoast Championship was one of them. It truly was the first time I ever got to travel with any team from SCF, thanks to coach Parks pulling a couple of strings to have me join the team on the road and being able to cut a piece of the net after claiming the tournament.
The second one was two days after winning the Suncoast Tournament when I asked the entire basketball team to come to an open house ballroom dance party at Wilson's Dance Sport International for a night of dancing, food and fun in which they said they would. At first I was a little worried if they weren't going to come, but the entire team and student assistant David Peck were true to their words and they all came, participated in the fun group and danced the night away, which made my night. We all even got a photo together and even got a complimentary dance lesson for participating. Honestly, they all did really well on the dance floor (*Link in description).
There are some sad parts from this season. Of course, it was seeing D'Moi Hodge, Isiah Dasher, Chris Scarborough, Remy Robert II and Max Bell-Ramos having to end their careers and parting ways from SCF, but it was also sad that I will not being able to see the debut of Jean-Pierre "JP" Frederick at SCF because of a series of issues while trying to transfer from another college in Saint Lucia (his native country) that had no sports whatsoever. As a result, he has to transfer to a four-year college. It really is sad because I was really looking forward to seeing him play this season at SCF, but regardless, I know he'll do phenomenal at the higher and I'll support him no matter which school he goes to.
2nd Herd has ended for 2019-20, but 3rd Herd will be in session with Marshall Kearing, Sam Grayson, Jordan Clark, Michael Gavin and Calvin McCutcheon returning to the team for their sophomore campaigns as well as the debuts of walk-on players Rae Miller and Christian Nieto, who redshirted last season. I also look forward to seeing the debuts of Kwo Agwa, Michael Hatcher, DK Kelly, Javon Bell, Keenan Willie, Joe Stubbs and Luke Lecroy when they arrive to SCF for their true freshmen years.
SCF Tennis:
Although this year for SCF tennis wasn't as promising as the 2018-19 season, they all worked hard on the court despite going 2-7 overall with an 0-5 record in conference.
I was able to meet the newcomers which included Karla Menendez and Martina Shakhnazarova, and got to see the returners that included Sara Ramirez-Goncalves, Brie Botsford and Mackenzie Vraspir. In fact, I wrote feature stories on Ramirez-Goncalves and Botsford.
I'm remembering the first story I wrote on the SCF tennis team was on their season home opener against Southeastern University (NAIA) for the 2018-19 where they won 8-1. There were the debuts of Ramirez-Goncalves, Botsford and Zeba Jamal. Vrsapir and Alexis Booker didn't play that year as they redshirted. During that season, I didn't have my first postgame interview with coach Chloe Murphy until after the matchup against Broward and didn't interview a player until their shutout win over St. Catherine (NCAA DIII) when I interviewed Ramirez-Goncalves. Arguably, Ramirez-Goncalves was the only player I did a postgame interview with from both seasons.
The 2018-19 season was a big one for the tennis team. They went to nationals for the first time in two seasons and they finished first tied for fifth place out of 32 teams with Ramirez-Goncalves reaching the semifinals in her flight and Jamal and fellow alum Camile 'Cami' Portalier winning the consolation doubles championship.
This season was a lot different and it's going to be different without Ramirez-Goncalves and Botsford on the squad next season since they were the only two true sophomores on the squad (unless they decide to stay), but it's always going to be like that for any sport.
SCF Softball:
So let's start with the obvious, softball was on a rough patch this season going 1-3 in the JUCO Kickoff Classic to start it off before sweeping Santa Fe to go to even before going on a six-game winning streak with victories over Lake Sumter, ASA Miami (home opener) and Palm Beach State. They then went on a seven-game winning streak and won six out of eight games from their eight-game homestead before sweeping Lincoln Land CC to close off the season at 20-12. The softball team was unable to start Suncoast Conference play due to the coronavirus.
The main part of writing about the 2020 season for SCF Softball was based on head coach Mandy Schuerman as she was aiming for her 200th career win as head coach for the softball team. With softball, the 200th win I think was going to be one of my best stories, but I'm planning on doing a feature story on coach Schuerman about her time as head coach for SCF softball and her milestones with SCF softball as well as leading to her 200th career win as head coach.
So far from the sophomore class (Madelyn Graham, Makayla Benavidez, Ashlee Zientek and Madi LoCastro), Graham (Warner: NAIA) and Zientek (Ursuline: NCAA DII) are deciding to continue to their softball careers at the university level.
Softball was the first sport I watched at SCF when then head coach Meredith Michaels (nee Headings) was leading the team to the 2012 NJCAA College Softball World Series as one of two members from the FCSAA.
SCF Baseball:
Let's start it off with my first story on the SCF baseball team on their win over Broward College winning by a score of 10-1 (2/8/19). I didn't get my first interview with coach Tim Hill II until the game against Hillsborough (3/29/19). Then we made it to the state tournament where we went to the state tournament before being the sixth team to be eliminated.
When the 2020 season went underway, the first story I did for SCF baseball was the opening day game against FSW in a non-conference matchup at CoolToday Park in Venice (the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves). Some would assume that it was home field advantage for SCF because the stadium was closer to SCF, however it was deemed as neutral grounds because it took place neither at SCF nor FSW even it was closer to SCF.
When we had the home opener, I got coach Hill, of course, but this season I got to interview my first two players from the baseball team in transfer AJ Fritz and freshman Clay Callahan. Fritz transferred from Evansville and was one of 11 transfers to join SCF.
Truthfully, the main player I interviewed the most was actually Cameron Lee when he hit his first collegiate home run and his first collegiate grand slam.
I'm remembering one of the funniest parts of the 2020 baseball season was when I was at the home game against PHSC, Fritz's parents, Steve and Amy, were in attendance and all of a sudden, I hear Amy asked if I was the one writing all the stories and at first I was a little hesitant because I thought someone was stalking me (joking), but as I introduced myself, she said that she loved my stories and that was so amazing to meet the parents that read, like and retweet my stories and say many positive things about them.
In the end, the Manatees finished the season 16-11 overall with a 5-1 record in the Suncoast and were in first place in conference. I guess in a sense after finishing the sweep with Polk State, we were going to most likely win the Suncoast Conference Regular Season Championship, even if this year happens to be unofficial.
Thanks and Final Thoughts:
To close this post off, I wanted to give my final thoughts and many thanks to the SCF Athletic Department.
The 2019-20 school was actually a pretty good year for SCF athletics and it was quite an adventure despite the early ending. I got to be around so many great athletes that are going to be making names for themselves. On a positive note for the spring sports, the baseball, softball, tennis and beach volleyball players have an opportunity to return for a renewed season should they decide to take the opportunity.
One question that always comes to mind is "Why do I continue writing about a junior college if I don't get paid for it?" I feel the question is a two-way path. On one side, I do it because I love writing about my alma mater. On the other side, I do it to hopefully gain some experience around journalism, which I do every single time I write a story. All-in-all, whether I get paid for it or not, it does not matter to me because I enjoy it.
Sure I still hope that Dr. Carol Probstfeld, the SCF president, creates a position for a sports communication director or something like that, and that is still in the air of discussion for the near future. Until then, all I can do is wait on it and continue doing what I like to do.
Thank you to Matt Ennis and Ms. Loretta Demonte, the SCF athletic director and assistant athletic director, for getting me access to do feature stories, cover the games and getting postgame interviews afterwards for the athletic events, even if I have to write about the losses. I have known Matt for almost 10 years and Ms. Loretta for five and they have done wonderful things for the SCF athletic department. Although it sometimes becomes a habit from time-to-time when I call Matt 'Mr. Ennis', even though I'm not a student there anymore. It's still a good laugh nevertheless.
I want to thank head coach Parks and assistant coaches Rob Beckmann, Nav Gil, Lem Andrews, Ace Whitaker and David Peck for all they did to keep the SCF basketball team on their toes and for the being the first SCF team I did stories on.
Thank you to coach Schuerman and coach Hill for letting me cover their games, even if the seasons were cut short and Suncoast Conference did not commence for softball. I've known Hill since spring 2013 and Schuerman since fall 2014 and they have done wonders for the baseball and softball programs and I hope they keep doing wonders for the teams.
Thank you to a fellow alum in coach Murphy and coach Burnett for helping with the boxscores for the tennis and indoor/beach volleyball matches when I needed them for my recaps. It was incredibly helpful for me even though the matches that were on the road or on neutral grounds.
Thank you to Amy Beckmann for helping get some photos at the basketball games.
Finally, thank you to all the athletes who participated in my feature stories for postgame interviews and took the time to read, like and retweet all the stories when I post them on Twitter as well as the parents that were able to be in attendance and read my stories.
To think, this whole blog started as a school assignment at FGCU and then I chose to expand it from there spring 2017. Come to think of it, doing stories for SCF is quite an amazing adventure because I learn a lot from all the athletes and their backgrounds.
I definitely look forward to seeing the 2020-21 athletic season for SCF and will look forward to writing up more feature stories, schedule releases, previews and recaps.
First Story Links:
SCF VB: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/07/scf-vb-opens-season-santa-fe.html
SCF Basketball: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2018/12/scf-basketball-preview.html
SCF Tennis: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/search/label/SCF%20Tennis?updated-max=2019-03-13T11:31:00-04:00&max-results=20&start=20&by-date=false
SCF Softball: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/01/scf-softball-juco-kickoff-classic.html
SCF Baseball: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/02/scf-baseball-vs-broward-recap.html
SCF BVB: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2020/02/scf-bvb-sets-for-first-road-tri-match.html
Feature Story Links:
Sara Ramirez-Goncalves: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/12/srq-scf-win.html
Brie Botsford: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/12/for-scf-tennis-team-each-player-has.html
Leilani Wilcox-Nanai: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/10/leilanis-volleyball-journey.html
Sydney Jaco: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/10/jacos-legacy.html
Other Social Media Posts:
*SCF Basketball: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2972192216138294&set=a.328054693885406&type=3&theater
*SCF Volleyball: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2619958888028297&set=pb.100000426339316.-2207520000..&type=3&theater
This was not only happening to SCF and the junior colleges in the FCSAA, but it is also happening to other junior colleges nationally in the NJCAA (D1, D2 and D3) as well as colleges/universities in the NCAA (D1, D2 and D3), NAIA, California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA), National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA) and Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC). In total, over 2,000 junior colleges and universities (2,291 to be exact) had to stop the seasons of their spring sports because of COVID-19. We're talking about over 10 million student-athletes not being able to play their final year(s) of eligibility this year as a result.
I could sense a lot of pain for all the athletes at SCF that are sophomores and are unable to play in the spring because of this pandemic and I understand it sucks, but I guess in a way it is for our own safety.
On a positive note, in a statement by the NJCAA, they indicated that, "no spring sport student-athlete who was enrolled at a member college in 2020 will be charged a year of participation." This will preserve the season of eligibility for beach volleyball, baseball, softball, and tennis.
Now what does it mean for the remaining 24 sophomores for baseball, softball, tennis and beach volleyball? Will they get their final year of eligibility back? Will they be listed as 'redshirt' sophomores? The answer to that is yes they will get their final year of eligibility back as the NJCAA will give back all spring sports their eligibility, but as far as being dubbed as 'redshirts' I'm not sure.
The thing is it will take a good amount of time to put all the pieces together before making final decisions on what should happen, but as it looks at the moment, the 24 combined sophomores will get their one remaining year of eligibility back and do have the option to stay and play for SCF or continue on with their current paths.
But to steer on a positive path of the 2019-20 athletic season, let's look back and talk about some memorable moments that the Manatees have produced for all six sports along with the stories I wrote about them.
SCF Indoor and Beach Volleyball:
Lets begin with indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. Yes, the past five seasons have gone down for the SCF indoor volleyball team and they did finish 5-19 overall with a 2-4 record in the Suncoast this past season. Originally, they were 3-23 overall with an 0-6 record in conference play, but they moved to third place in the Suncoast standings, and the reason why SCF moved from last place to third in the Suncoast was because of St. Pete College. SPC had an ineligible player that played during the season. The old saying is this: "You cheat, you're out."
We even played Florida Southwestern in their inaugural season despite falling to them in both matchups.
The first story I did on the volleyball team was on their season schedule released where I talked about who they were facing and the players to introduce.
One of SCF volleyball's memorable moments came from sophomore Sydney Jaco when she reached 1,000 digs in her career in a win against the Webber International junior varsity team. Jaco ended up finishing 1,230 career digs at the end of her sophomore year and was named a member of the All-Suncoast Second Team and a five-time member of the FCSAA 25 Dig Club. All-in-all, Jaco finished her career as a 21-time FCSAA 25 Dig Club for the Manatees, a one-time All-Suncoast First Team, two-time All-Suncoast All-Academic Team and one-time NJCAA National Player of the Week.
With volleyball, I was even able to do two stories on two of the players, Jaco and freshman Leilani Wilcox-Nanai. Truthfully, they were nervous about having a story on them while I was nervous on starting the interviews with them. In fact, Jaco and Wilcox-Nanai were the first players I did an interview with on the win during Jaco's milestone.
Some of my favorite moments from the 2019 season with SCF indoor volleyball included doing the national anthem for their sophomore night and giving one of the assistant coaches and the players goosebumps despite the loss to Monroe College, but the most memorable was when Jaco, Barbora Tichackova, Lisa Jaunet and Emily Sauceda all came to see me at Maple Street and eat there too, which meant a whole lot to me. (*Link in description)
Now with the addition of beach volleyball, they finished their campaign 3-0 for their inaugural season, even if it was cut short with the majority of the team from the indoor team. I guess in a way, the inaugural season was just a taste of what to expect for next season.
I was so thankful to meet the several newcomers in the freshmen in Wilcox-Nanai as well as the others (Jaunet, Bailey Sikkema, Jazmin Spencer, Brooke Henry, Gracee Carpino, Noelie Claude and Britzy Lucas) and I'm also thankful to meet the returners in Jaco as well as Tichackova, Sauceda, Daviya Bernard and Hannah Strickland). They all made such an impact for SCF volleyball, but I know that where they go, the journey leads them to their success.
SCF Basketball:
I look back to my first story on the SCF basketball team on a preview of the Manatees playing Gordon State College at home. Before I got started on it, I first decided to meet the head coach for SCF, Tom Parks. He seemed like a really good guy. Truthfully, he reminded me of a taller version of Brock Erickson, which actually led to me being a little intimidated by him.
After the game against Gordon State, Parks was the first person I did an interview after the game on the win and at first I was a little nervous, but it worked out well in the end. When the first Suncoast Conference game at home against SPC commenced, I got Parks's comments, of course, but then I also got then sophomore DeAndre Osuigwe and then freshman D'Moi Hodge and their take on the game.
I remember in one of the stories against Hillsborough, Park said a meaningful message on my stories.
"I just want to thank you Pat for doing this because I think it's unbelievable with your passion and the fact that you come and support us every game with your notebook writing stats and how serious you take this. It means a lot to our program and we really appreciate your support and writing about us on your blog. It really means a lot to us."
"1st Herd" finished the 2018-19 season 18-15 overall with a 6-6 Suncoast record. Heading towards the postseason, mainly the Suncoast Conference Tournament, coach Parks considered me as a member of what he dubbed as "1st Herd". I never asked where the idea came into play for that, but I guess the old saying is "Some things are just better left unsaid... for now".
Fast forwarding to this year and it was very memorable. I mean to start it off, we had the debuts of seven players. Truthfully, this season and last season were the best seasons that SCF Basketball has had in a long time as we finished 21-11 overall with a 5-7 record in the Suncoast. The 21 wins were the most we had in program history. We won the Suncoast Conference Tournament and made it to the FCSAA State Tournament for the second straight season before falling in the first round of the state tournament to Tallahassee (TCC).
One of the big moments from the 2019-20 season for SCF basketball team came off the shot of Hodge where he set two scoring records: most points in a single season and most career points. Hodge broke and set both records during the Suncoast Tournament. I even got to travel with the team for the game and cut a piece of the net after the win, even if we had to cut it at Hal Chasey Gymnasium.
From my personal favorite moments with SCF Basketball, I have two special ones that were very heartfelt and meaningful.
The first was being able to travel with the basketball team for the Suncoast Championship was one of them. It truly was the first time I ever got to travel with any team from SCF, thanks to coach Parks pulling a couple of strings to have me join the team on the road and being able to cut a piece of the net after claiming the tournament.
The second one was two days after winning the Suncoast Tournament when I asked the entire basketball team to come to an open house ballroom dance party at Wilson's Dance Sport International for a night of dancing, food and fun in which they said they would. At first I was a little worried if they weren't going to come, but the entire team and student assistant David Peck were true to their words and they all came, participated in the fun group and danced the night away, which made my night. We all even got a photo together and even got a complimentary dance lesson for participating. Honestly, they all did really well on the dance floor (*Link in description).
There are some sad parts from this season. Of course, it was seeing D'Moi Hodge, Isiah Dasher, Chris Scarborough, Remy Robert II and Max Bell-Ramos having to end their careers and parting ways from SCF, but it was also sad that I will not being able to see the debut of Jean-Pierre "JP" Frederick at SCF because of a series of issues while trying to transfer from another college in Saint Lucia (his native country) that had no sports whatsoever. As a result, he has to transfer to a four-year college. It really is sad because I was really looking forward to seeing him play this season at SCF, but regardless, I know he'll do phenomenal at the higher and I'll support him no matter which school he goes to.
2nd Herd has ended for 2019-20, but 3rd Herd will be in session with Marshall Kearing, Sam Grayson, Jordan Clark, Michael Gavin and Calvin McCutcheon returning to the team for their sophomore campaigns as well as the debuts of walk-on players Rae Miller and Christian Nieto, who redshirted last season. I also look forward to seeing the debuts of Kwo Agwa, Michael Hatcher, DK Kelly, Javon Bell, Keenan Willie, Joe Stubbs and Luke Lecroy when they arrive to SCF for their true freshmen years.
SCF Tennis:
Although this year for SCF tennis wasn't as promising as the 2018-19 season, they all worked hard on the court despite going 2-7 overall with an 0-5 record in conference.
I was able to meet the newcomers which included Karla Menendez and Martina Shakhnazarova, and got to see the returners that included Sara Ramirez-Goncalves, Brie Botsford and Mackenzie Vraspir. In fact, I wrote feature stories on Ramirez-Goncalves and Botsford.
I'm remembering the first story I wrote on the SCF tennis team was on their season home opener against Southeastern University (NAIA) for the 2018-19 where they won 8-1. There were the debuts of Ramirez-Goncalves, Botsford and Zeba Jamal. Vrsapir and Alexis Booker didn't play that year as they redshirted. During that season, I didn't have my first postgame interview with coach Chloe Murphy until after the matchup against Broward and didn't interview a player until their shutout win over St. Catherine (NCAA DIII) when I interviewed Ramirez-Goncalves. Arguably, Ramirez-Goncalves was the only player I did a postgame interview with from both seasons.
The 2018-19 season was a big one for the tennis team. They went to nationals for the first time in two seasons and they finished first tied for fifth place out of 32 teams with Ramirez-Goncalves reaching the semifinals in her flight and Jamal and fellow alum Camile 'Cami' Portalier winning the consolation doubles championship.
This season was a lot different and it's going to be different without Ramirez-Goncalves and Botsford on the squad next season since they were the only two true sophomores on the squad (unless they decide to stay), but it's always going to be like that for any sport.
SCF Softball:
So let's start with the obvious, softball was on a rough patch this season going 1-3 in the JUCO Kickoff Classic to start it off before sweeping Santa Fe to go to even before going on a six-game winning streak with victories over Lake Sumter, ASA Miami (home opener) and Palm Beach State. They then went on a seven-game winning streak and won six out of eight games from their eight-game homestead before sweeping Lincoln Land CC to close off the season at 20-12. The softball team was unable to start Suncoast Conference play due to the coronavirus.
The main part of writing about the 2020 season for SCF Softball was based on head coach Mandy Schuerman as she was aiming for her 200th career win as head coach for the softball team. With softball, the 200th win I think was going to be one of my best stories, but I'm planning on doing a feature story on coach Schuerman about her time as head coach for SCF softball and her milestones with SCF softball as well as leading to her 200th career win as head coach.
So far from the sophomore class (Madelyn Graham, Makayla Benavidez, Ashlee Zientek and Madi LoCastro), Graham (Warner: NAIA) and Zientek (Ursuline: NCAA DII) are deciding to continue to their softball careers at the university level.
Softball was the first sport I watched at SCF when then head coach Meredith Michaels (nee Headings) was leading the team to the 2012 NJCAA College Softball World Series as one of two members from the FCSAA.
SCF Baseball:
Let's start it off with my first story on the SCF baseball team on their win over Broward College winning by a score of 10-1 (2/8/19). I didn't get my first interview with coach Tim Hill II until the game against Hillsborough (3/29/19). Then we made it to the state tournament where we went to the state tournament before being the sixth team to be eliminated.
When the 2020 season went underway, the first story I did for SCF baseball was the opening day game against FSW in a non-conference matchup at CoolToday Park in Venice (the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves). Some would assume that it was home field advantage for SCF because the stadium was closer to SCF, however it was deemed as neutral grounds because it took place neither at SCF nor FSW even it was closer to SCF.
When we had the home opener, I got coach Hill, of course, but this season I got to interview my first two players from the baseball team in transfer AJ Fritz and freshman Clay Callahan. Fritz transferred from Evansville and was one of 11 transfers to join SCF.
Truthfully, the main player I interviewed the most was actually Cameron Lee when he hit his first collegiate home run and his first collegiate grand slam.
I'm remembering one of the funniest parts of the 2020 baseball season was when I was at the home game against PHSC, Fritz's parents, Steve and Amy, were in attendance and all of a sudden, I hear Amy asked if I was the one writing all the stories and at first I was a little hesitant because I thought someone was stalking me (joking), but as I introduced myself, she said that she loved my stories and that was so amazing to meet the parents that read, like and retweet my stories and say many positive things about them.
In the end, the Manatees finished the season 16-11 overall with a 5-1 record in the Suncoast and were in first place in conference. I guess in a sense after finishing the sweep with Polk State, we were going to most likely win the Suncoast Conference Regular Season Championship, even if this year happens to be unofficial.
Thanks and Final Thoughts:
To close this post off, I wanted to give my final thoughts and many thanks to the SCF Athletic Department.
The 2019-20 school was actually a pretty good year for SCF athletics and it was quite an adventure despite the early ending. I got to be around so many great athletes that are going to be making names for themselves. On a positive note for the spring sports, the baseball, softball, tennis and beach volleyball players have an opportunity to return for a renewed season should they decide to take the opportunity.
One question that always comes to mind is "Why do I continue writing about a junior college if I don't get paid for it?" I feel the question is a two-way path. On one side, I do it because I love writing about my alma mater. On the other side, I do it to hopefully gain some experience around journalism, which I do every single time I write a story. All-in-all, whether I get paid for it or not, it does not matter to me because I enjoy it.
Sure I still hope that Dr. Carol Probstfeld, the SCF president, creates a position for a sports communication director or something like that, and that is still in the air of discussion for the near future. Until then, all I can do is wait on it and continue doing what I like to do.
Thank you to Matt Ennis and Ms. Loretta Demonte, the SCF athletic director and assistant athletic director, for getting me access to do feature stories, cover the games and getting postgame interviews afterwards for the athletic events, even if I have to write about the losses. I have known Matt for almost 10 years and Ms. Loretta for five and they have done wonderful things for the SCF athletic department. Although it sometimes becomes a habit from time-to-time when I call Matt 'Mr. Ennis', even though I'm not a student there anymore. It's still a good laugh nevertheless.
I want to thank head coach Parks and assistant coaches Rob Beckmann, Nav Gil, Lem Andrews, Ace Whitaker and David Peck for all they did to keep the SCF basketball team on their toes and for the being the first SCF team I did stories on.
Thank you to coach Schuerman and coach Hill for letting me cover their games, even if the seasons were cut short and Suncoast Conference did not commence for softball. I've known Hill since spring 2013 and Schuerman since fall 2014 and they have done wonders for the baseball and softball programs and I hope they keep doing wonders for the teams.
Thank you to a fellow alum in coach Murphy and coach Burnett for helping with the boxscores for the tennis and indoor/beach volleyball matches when I needed them for my recaps. It was incredibly helpful for me even though the matches that were on the road or on neutral grounds.
Thank you to Amy Beckmann for helping get some photos at the basketball games.
Finally, thank you to all the athletes who participated in my feature stories for postgame interviews and took the time to read, like and retweet all the stories when I post them on Twitter as well as the parents that were able to be in attendance and read my stories.
To think, this whole blog started as a school assignment at FGCU and then I chose to expand it from there spring 2017. Come to think of it, doing stories for SCF is quite an amazing adventure because I learn a lot from all the athletes and their backgrounds.
I definitely look forward to seeing the 2020-21 athletic season for SCF and will look forward to writing up more feature stories, schedule releases, previews and recaps.
First Story Links:
SCF VB: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/07/scf-vb-opens-season-santa-fe.html
SCF Basketball: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2018/12/scf-basketball-preview.html
SCF Tennis: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/search/label/SCF%20Tennis?updated-max=2019-03-13T11:31:00-04:00&max-results=20&start=20&by-date=false
SCF Softball: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/01/scf-softball-juco-kickoff-classic.html
SCF Baseball: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/02/scf-baseball-vs-broward-recap.html
SCF BVB: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2020/02/scf-bvb-sets-for-first-road-tri-match.html
Feature Story Links:
Sara Ramirez-Goncalves: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/12/srq-scf-win.html
Brie Botsford: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/12/for-scf-tennis-team-each-player-has.html
Leilani Wilcox-Nanai: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/10/leilanis-volleyball-journey.html
Sydney Jaco: https://thefgcudirtybird.blogspot.com/2019/10/jacos-legacy.html
Other Social Media Posts:
*SCF Basketball: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2972192216138294&set=a.328054693885406&type=3&theater
*SCF Volleyball: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2619958888028297&set=pb.100000426339316.-2207520000..&type=3&theater
SCF Baseball Sets for SPC
The SCF baseball team (16-11, 5-1 Suncoast) will now set their sights with St. Pete College (12-13, 2-4) for the next series in Suncoast Conference play. The series will begin at Wynn Field Friday night, March 13 at 6 pm. Game two will head to Clearwater Saturday afternoon, March 14 at 1 pm at Jack Russell Stadium before returning to Wynn Field Monday night, March 16 at 6 pm.
Last Time Out:
The Manatees completed their second series of Suncoast play against Polk State, sweeping the series by scores of 5-0 (3/7), 14-2 (7) (3/9) and 5-0 (3/12). Following the result, the Manatees are currently in first place in the Suncoast.
Coronavirus:
As far as any updates with the Corona Virus on the campus, everything is still running it's normal operations including college activities.
21 to 300:
For head coach Tim Hill II, he is on another path to success as he goes for his 300th career win as head coach for the Manatees. Hill II is 21 wins away from reaching the milestone and has been head coach since the 2012-13 school year.
Hill II earned his first win as head coach on January 26, 2013 after defeating Chipola College 11-3. On March 20, 2015, he earned his 100th career win before earning his 200th on March 9, 2018 and his 250th on April 3, 2019.
Big Pitches:
On the mound, sophomores Jake Smith and Cole Ayers have been the main benefactors in the starting rotation.
Smith enters the series against SPC 5-1 with a 1.58 ERA and 59 strikeouts. In the series finale against Polk State, the upcoming Miami transfer threw a one-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts. In fact, during that game, Smith held a no-hitter until it was broken in the sixth inning.
Ayers is currently 3-2 with a 2.48 ERA and 47 strikeouts. In the second game against Polk State, Ayers gave up two runs in five innings with eight strikeouts.
Freshman Daniel Batcher had one of his best games in the opening game against Polk State, throwing eight shutout innings with a season-high 12 strikeouts. Despite having a 4.36 ERA, Batcher is 2-2 with 35 strikeouts. Batcher was named the NJCAA Region 8 Baseball Pitcher of the Week as a result.
Hot Bats:
The bats from the Manatees have also been on a hot streak recently, predominantly from sophomore John Malcom and Jamarcus Lyons.
Malcom is currently batting .330 with a team-leading five home runs, 25 RBI and 18 walks. Against Polk State, Malcom finished the series 4-for-11 (.366) with a home run and four RBI.
Lyons is batting .333 with four home runs and 17 RBI. Lyons was 6-for-13 (.462) with a home run and three RBI against Polk State.
Freshmen Owen Ayers and Cameron Lee have also been swinging a hot bat as of late. Ayers is currently batting .344 with two home runs and 17 RBI, while primarily for his speed Lee is batting .222 with two home runs, 13 RBI and 14 stolen bases. Lee finished 2-for-9 (.222) with a home run and four RBI against Polk State, while Ayers was 5-for-12 (.417) with two RBI. In fact, the home run Lee had was his first collegiate grand slam.
Suncoast Standings:
Scouting SPC:
The Titans began Suncoast play losing the series to Hillsborough 2-1. In their series against South Florida State, the Titans claimed it winning game one (6-0) and game three (5-4).
Freshmen Gabriel Rincones and Chris Williams lead the Titans offensively. Rincones is batting a team-leading .432 with four home runs and 28 RBI, while Williams is batting .311 with four home runs and 21 RBI.
Freshman Channing Young is the Titans leading winner on the mound going 3-2 with a 5.75 ERA and 35 strikeouts.
Series History (2012-present):
Overall, the Manatees are 32-12 against the Titans. Last season, the Manatees claimed the series 4-2 overall with the sweep in the second series.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be provided by GameChanger and fans can keep up to date with both teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFBaseball
SPC: @spcbaseball
Livestats link: http://gc.com/team-5a6aaa261d80b62ddd940749
Last Time Out:
The Manatees completed their second series of Suncoast play against Polk State, sweeping the series by scores of 5-0 (3/7), 14-2 (7) (3/9) and 5-0 (3/12). Following the result, the Manatees are currently in first place in the Suncoast.
Coronavirus:
As far as any updates with the Corona Virus on the campus, everything is still running it's normal operations including college activities.
21 to 300:
For head coach Tim Hill II, he is on another path to success as he goes for his 300th career win as head coach for the Manatees. Hill II is 21 wins away from reaching the milestone and has been head coach since the 2012-13 school year.
Hill II earned his first win as head coach on January 26, 2013 after defeating Chipola College 11-3. On March 20, 2015, he earned his 100th career win before earning his 200th on March 9, 2018 and his 250th on April 3, 2019.
Big Pitches:
On the mound, sophomores Jake Smith and Cole Ayers have been the main benefactors in the starting rotation.
Smith enters the series against SPC 5-1 with a 1.58 ERA and 59 strikeouts. In the series finale against Polk State, the upcoming Miami transfer threw a one-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts. In fact, during that game, Smith held a no-hitter until it was broken in the sixth inning.
Ayers is currently 3-2 with a 2.48 ERA and 47 strikeouts. In the second game against Polk State, Ayers gave up two runs in five innings with eight strikeouts.
Freshman Daniel Batcher had one of his best games in the opening game against Polk State, throwing eight shutout innings with a season-high 12 strikeouts. Despite having a 4.36 ERA, Batcher is 2-2 with 35 strikeouts. Batcher was named the NJCAA Region 8 Baseball Pitcher of the Week as a result.
Hot Bats:
The bats from the Manatees have also been on a hot streak recently, predominantly from sophomore John Malcom and Jamarcus Lyons.
Malcom is currently batting .330 with a team-leading five home runs, 25 RBI and 18 walks. Against Polk State, Malcom finished the series 4-for-11 (.366) with a home run and four RBI.
Lyons is batting .333 with four home runs and 17 RBI. Lyons was 6-for-13 (.462) with a home run and three RBI against Polk State.
Freshmen Owen Ayers and Cameron Lee have also been swinging a hot bat as of late. Ayers is currently batting .344 with two home runs and 17 RBI, while primarily for his speed Lee is batting .222 with two home runs, 13 RBI and 14 stolen bases. Lee finished 2-for-9 (.222) with a home run and four RBI against Polk State, while Ayers was 5-for-12 (.417) with two RBI. In fact, the home run Lee had was his first collegiate grand slam.
Suncoast Standings:
1. SCF (16-11, 5-1 Suncoast)
2. Hillsborough (15-13, 4-2 Suncoast)
3. Florida Southwestern (16-11, 3-3 Suncoast)
4. St. Pete (13-12, 3-3 Suncoast)
5. South Florida State (16-13, 2-4 Suncoast)
6. Polk State (12-14, 1-5 Suncoast)
Scouting SPC:
The Titans began Suncoast play losing the series to Hillsborough 2-1. In their series against South Florida State, the Titans claimed it winning game one (6-0) and game three (5-4).
Freshmen Gabriel Rincones and Chris Williams lead the Titans offensively. Rincones is batting a team-leading .432 with four home runs and 28 RBI, while Williams is batting .311 with four home runs and 21 RBI.
Freshman Channing Young is the Titans leading winner on the mound going 3-2 with a 5.75 ERA and 35 strikeouts.
Series History (2012-present):
Overall, the Manatees are 32-12 against the Titans. Last season, the Manatees claimed the series 4-2 overall with the sweep in the second series.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be provided by GameChanger and fans can keep up to date with both teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFBaseball
SPC: @spcbaseball
Livestats link: http://gc.com/team-5a6aaa261d80b62ddd940749
#24 FGCU WBB vs UNF: A-SUN Semifinals Recap
Seniors Keri Jewett-Giles and Nasrin Ulel combined for 42 points to lead the No. 24 FGCU women's basketball team (30-3) to a 73-57 win over North Florida (16-15) in the A-SUN Championship semifinals on Wednesday inside Alico Arena.
"There's definitely a lot of bright spots," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said, "(such as) the way we came out in the second half, moved the ball and knocked down shots. We were getting open threes and had them spread out and got layups, which helped us extend the lead. Give North Florida credit. They kept fighting and kept coming at us. I thought we lost our defensive intensity and weren't running our offense (after that). Hopefully there's a lesson to be learned about finishing the game the way we want to."
With the win, the Eagles advance to the A-SUN Championship game for the ninth-consecutive season, which extends a conference record. They will face Liberty (20-11), who defeated North Alabama 90-87 in overtime to set up a rematch of last year's title tilt, at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The game is open to fans and tickets can be purchased online at FGCUtickets.com.
The triumph also gives FGCU its fourth 30-win season over the past six years and allows the Eagles a chance to tie Florida International's all-time A-SUN record with four straight conference tournament championships. As of now, the Green and Blue are just one of four to win three straight, and they improved the program's all-time conference tournament record to 24-2 (.923). On top of that, FGCU is now 48-13 (.787) all-time in the month of March (3-0 this year), and they are 27-3 against North Florida with six straight wins in the series, including 16-0 inside Alico Arena and 4-0 in the postseason.
As a team, FGCU racked up 11 more 3-pointers against North Florida to push its nation-best total to 397, which puts them three shy of becoming just the fourth team in NCAA Division I women's basketball history with at least 400 in a season. The 2017-18 version of the Eagles currently holds the all-time record with 431 with the 2014-15 Sacramento State (424) and 2017-18 DePaul (422) squads ranking second and third.
Offensively, the duo of Jewett-Giles and Ulel produced FGCU's 14th and 15th all-time 20-plus point performances in A-SUN Championship play in Wednesday night's win.
Jewett-Giles, who had a game-high 22 points along with five rebounds, three assists and two steals, racked up her 70th career double-digit scoring performance, and it was the 19th time she's scored 20-or-more, which includes 12 this year alone.
Ulel, meanwhile, had 20 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. She finished 7-for-14 from the field, including 4-for-6 from long distance, for her sixth 20-plus point performance of the season. It was also her 20th double-digit scoring game of the season, and she also added a bit more history to her performance by moving into 10th place on the A-SUN's all-time 3-point field goals list with 229, surpassing Stetson's Brianti Saunders (227, 2013-17).
Grad student Ashli O'Neal also produced offensively by recording her second double-digit performance of the tournament with 12 points on 4-for-9 shooting. She is averaging 16.5 PPG over her first two A-SUN tournament games.
Senior Tytionia Adderly, meanwhile, continued her solid all-around play. While finishing with six points and three steals, she also had her fourth-straight double-digit rebound performance with a game-high 14, which ties her own program record for most in an A-SUN tournament game. She has eight of FGCU's 11 all-time double-digit rebounding efforts in the postseason event. If that isn't enough, she had seven assists vs North Florida, which is tied for the third-most in program history in conference tournament play.
Furthermore, Adderly pushed her career rebounding total to 1,185, which is just 15 shy of making her the second player in A-SUN history with 1,200 in a career. Georgia Southern's Phylette Blake (1,242, 1985-89) holds the all-time record. On Wednesday, the senior also pushed her career double-digit rebounding game total to 55, which includes a career-high 16 this year alone.
Both teams got off to slow starts offensively, combining for just nine points through the game's first five minutes. With the game knotted at five apiece, Jewett-Giles spurred a 10-0 run by forcing a steal and finishing a fast break layup, and Ulel added five points during the stretch. Jewett-Giles then closed the quarter with a second-chance jumper off the glass just before time expired to give FGCU a 17-7 lead.
A three-point play from Jewett-Giles pushed the lead to as many as 19 in the second quarter before FGCU settled on a 38-22 lead at the break. O'Neal then buried a 3-pointer to cap a 15-2 run for the Eagles to open the second half and, following back-to-back 3-pointers from Adderly and Ulel, FGCU held a 59-29 lead with 4:40 left in the third quarter.
From there, things got interesting as the Green and Blue scored just seven points over the next 10 minutes, while Janesha Green's layup pulled the visitors within as few as 13 with 4:20 left in the fourth. O'Neal stemmed the tide, however, with a 3-pointer from the left wing, and Jewett-Giles added a layup on the next possession to essentially seal the game.
"There's definitely a lot of bright spots," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said, "(such as) the way we came out in the second half, moved the ball and knocked down shots. We were getting open threes and had them spread out and got layups, which helped us extend the lead. Give North Florida credit. They kept fighting and kept coming at us. I thought we lost our defensive intensity and weren't running our offense (after that). Hopefully there's a lesson to be learned about finishing the game the way we want to."
With the win, the Eagles advance to the A-SUN Championship game for the ninth-consecutive season, which extends a conference record. They will face Liberty (20-11), who defeated North Alabama 90-87 in overtime to set up a rematch of last year's title tilt, at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The game is open to fans and tickets can be purchased online at FGCUtickets.com.
The triumph also gives FGCU its fourth 30-win season over the past six years and allows the Eagles a chance to tie Florida International's all-time A-SUN record with four straight conference tournament championships. As of now, the Green and Blue are just one of four to win three straight, and they improved the program's all-time conference tournament record to 24-2 (.923). On top of that, FGCU is now 48-13 (.787) all-time in the month of March (3-0 this year), and they are 27-3 against North Florida with six straight wins in the series, including 16-0 inside Alico Arena and 4-0 in the postseason.
As a team, FGCU racked up 11 more 3-pointers against North Florida to push its nation-best total to 397, which puts them three shy of becoming just the fourth team in NCAA Division I women's basketball history with at least 400 in a season. The 2017-18 version of the Eagles currently holds the all-time record with 431 with the 2014-15 Sacramento State (424) and 2017-18 DePaul (422) squads ranking second and third.
Offensively, the duo of Jewett-Giles and Ulel produced FGCU's 14th and 15th all-time 20-plus point performances in A-SUN Championship play in Wednesday night's win.
Jewett-Giles, who had a game-high 22 points along with five rebounds, three assists and two steals, racked up her 70th career double-digit scoring performance, and it was the 19th time she's scored 20-or-more, which includes 12 this year alone.
Ulel, meanwhile, had 20 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. She finished 7-for-14 from the field, including 4-for-6 from long distance, for her sixth 20-plus point performance of the season. It was also her 20th double-digit scoring game of the season, and she also added a bit more history to her performance by moving into 10th place on the A-SUN's all-time 3-point field goals list with 229, surpassing Stetson's Brianti Saunders (227, 2013-17).
Grad student Ashli O'Neal also produced offensively by recording her second double-digit performance of the tournament with 12 points on 4-for-9 shooting. She is averaging 16.5 PPG over her first two A-SUN tournament games.
Senior Tytionia Adderly, meanwhile, continued her solid all-around play. While finishing with six points and three steals, she also had her fourth-straight double-digit rebound performance with a game-high 14, which ties her own program record for most in an A-SUN tournament game. She has eight of FGCU's 11 all-time double-digit rebounding efforts in the postseason event. If that isn't enough, she had seven assists vs North Florida, which is tied for the third-most in program history in conference tournament play.
Furthermore, Adderly pushed her career rebounding total to 1,185, which is just 15 shy of making her the second player in A-SUN history with 1,200 in a career. Georgia Southern's Phylette Blake (1,242, 1985-89) holds the all-time record. On Wednesday, the senior also pushed her career double-digit rebounding game total to 55, which includes a career-high 16 this year alone.
Both teams got off to slow starts offensively, combining for just nine points through the game's first five minutes. With the game knotted at five apiece, Jewett-Giles spurred a 10-0 run by forcing a steal and finishing a fast break layup, and Ulel added five points during the stretch. Jewett-Giles then closed the quarter with a second-chance jumper off the glass just before time expired to give FGCU a 17-7 lead.
A three-point play from Jewett-Giles pushed the lead to as many as 19 in the second quarter before FGCU settled on a 38-22 lead at the break. O'Neal then buried a 3-pointer to cap a 15-2 run for the Eagles to open the second half and, following back-to-back 3-pointers from Adderly and Ulel, FGCU held a 59-29 lead with 4:40 left in the third quarter.
From there, things got interesting as the Green and Blue scored just seven points over the next 10 minutes, while Janesha Green's layup pulled the visitors within as few as 13 with 4:20 left in the fourth. O'Neal stemmed the tide, however, with a 3-pointer from the left wing, and Jewett-Giles added a layup on the next possession to essentially seal the game.
SCF Baseball Sweeps Polk State
The SCF baseball team (16-11, 5-1 Suncoast) were able to pull away with a sweep as they shutout Polk State (12-14, 1-5 Suncoast) for the second time by a score of 4-0 in Bing Tyus Yard Wednesday night. With the sweep, the Manatees are now 31-23 against the Eagles (2012-present).
Additionally with the win, Hill II earned his 279th career win and is 21 shy of reaching 300 career wins as head coach for the Manatees.
For the Manatees, head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Jake Smith to the mound, while Polk State head coach Al Corbeil sent sophomore Jake Curry to counter.
For the first three innings of the game, it was a pitcher duel between Smith and Curry with Smith having the upper hand with three strikeouts.
Curry would eventually be the first to buckle at the top of the fourth as the Manatees got on the board first. After a two-out double by freshman Owen Ayers, classmate Jacob Steinberg would send a single to left to bring in Ayers for the first run of the game. After classmate Richard Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, sophomore Remy Patry would send a single of his own to center to bring in Steinberg to make it 2-0 SCF.
Curry would eventually be the first to buckle at the top of the fourth as the Manatees got on the board first. After a two-out double by freshman Owen Ayers, classmate Jacob Steinberg would send a single to left to bring in Ayers for the first run of the game. After classmate Richard Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, sophomore Remy Patry would send a single of his own to center to bring in Steinberg to make it 2-0 SCF.
Meanwhile with Smith on the mound, the upcoming Miami transfer was pulling a little magic of his own as he was taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning before a single by sophomore Drew Howard stopped it. Smith was still able to brush it off to get out of the inning.
At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would bring another run in as sophomore Rook Ellington brought in Patry with a single before scoring on a wild pitch for the final run of the game to make it 4-0 SCF before Smith was able to pull away with four strikeouts for the win and the sweep in the final two innings.
Smith would earn the win after a one-hit shutout with one walk and 12 strikeouts. Smith is now 5-1 on the season.
Curry would be hit with the loss after giving up two runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in six innings. Curry is now 1-2 on the season.
Patry and classmate Jamarcus Lyons were each 2-for-4. Patry added an RBI and a run scored.
Ellington, Steinberg, Ayers and sophomore John Malcom had the Manatees' remaining four hits in the game.
Howard was 1-for-3 with the Eagles only hit.
Notes:
The sweep over Polk State was their fourth sweep under the Hill II Era.
Notes:
The sweep over Polk State was their fourth sweep under the Hill II Era.
Additionally with the win, Hill II earned his 279th career win and is 21 shy of reaching 300 career wins as head coach for the Manatees.
Other Suncoast Scores:
Hillsborough (15-13, 4-2 Suncoast) claimed the series over Florida Southwestern (16-11, 3-3 Suncoast) winning the third game by a score of 6-1. The Hawks will face Polk State next, while the Buccaneers face South Florida State.
St. Pete (13-12, 3-3 Suncoast) claimed the series over South Florida State (16-13, 2-4 Suncoast) winning the third game by a score of 5-4. The Panthers will shy away from Suncoast play briefly as they welcome NJCAA DIII Region 3 Erie CC (6-2).
Updated Suncoast Standings:
1. SCF (16-11, 5-1 Suncoast)
2. Hillsborough (15-13, 4-2 Suncoast)
3. Florida Southwestern (16-11, 3-3 Suncoast)
4. St. Pete (13-12, 3-3 Suncoast)
5. South Florida State (16-13, 2-4 Suncoast)
6. Polk State (12-14, 1-5 Suncoast)
Up Next:
The Manatees will face St. Pete (13-12, 3-3 Suncoast) for their next series of Suncoast Conference play.
Kopp Leads SCF to Double Walk-Off Sweep
Freshman Kristin Kopp's powerful bat helped the SCF softball team (20-12) wrap up non-conference play Wednesday as they swept Lincoln Land Community College (3-5) in walk-off fashion by scores of 5-4 and 8-7 in their first ever matchup. Both games ended in the eighth inning.
Game One:
For game one, head coach Mandy Schuerman sent sophomore Madi LoCastro to the mound, while LLCC head coach Rachel Wisner sent sophomore Jacey Nall to counter.
The Loggers would be the first to score at the top of the first after sophomore Abigail Walters scored when classmate Brooke Webber reached on an error, but the Manatees would answer back in the bottom half, thanks to a three run shot by Kopp brought in classmates Lauren Lightbody and Lauren Hutcherson to make it 3-1 SCF. It was Kopp's second home run of the season.
Two innings later, the Manatees would extend their lead to 4-1 after freshman Maddie Koczersut sent Lightbody home with a single.
At the top of the sixth, the Loggers would soon tie the game at 4-4 after a two-RBI double by freshman Katie Schaake and two RBI singles by Walters and freshman Kayla Settles. This signaled the end for LoCastro as Schuerman sent freshman Ally Hulme to the mound to close the sixth inning in success.
After both teams failed to score in the seventh, the game went into extra innings with freshman Makenna Byers placed at second per the International Tiebreaker rule. Despite that, Hulme was able to breeze through the inning with two strikeouts, giving the Manatees an opportunity to go for the win.
With sophomore Makayla Benavidez placed on second to pinch run for classmate Madelyn Graham, who was the last out in the bottom of the seventh, LoCastro would send Benavidez to third with a sacrifice bunt before freshman Emily Hughes sent Benavidez home with a sacrifice fly to left for the win.
LoCastro and Nall would each earn a no-decision. LoCastro gave up all four runs (three earned) on 10 hits with one walk in five and a third innings, while Nall gave up three runs on three hits with four walks in two innings. LoCastro was also 1-for-3 in the game.
Hulme would earn her seventh win of the season after throwing two and two-thirds innings of relief with six strikeouts. Hulme is now 7-4 on the year.
Schaake would be dubbed with the loss after giving up two runs on five hits in five and two-thirds innings of relief. She was also 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Sophomore Courtney Keller also had a multi-hit game as she finished 2-for-3 with a run.
Lightbody and Hutcherson each were 2-for-4 with a run scored. Kopp finished game one 1-for-3 with the home run and three RBI, while freshman Lilly Salazar had the Manatees' final hit as she finished 1-for-3.
Aside from Schaake and Keller, Walters also had a multi-hit game as she finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Game Two:
Schuerman sent Hulme to the mound to start game two, while Wisner sent sophomore Megan Behl.
In a turn of events, the Loggers would be the first on the board in the first two innings after an RBI single by Settles in the first inning and an RBI single by freshman Rebecca Littrel and two-RBI triple by sophomore Shaye Virgin in the second made it 4-0 LLCC.
After the Loggers added one more at the top of the fourth after a Virgin RBI single, Schuerman pulled Hulme and sent freshman Samantha Hampton to the mound for relief in success.
After a scoreless fifth, the Loggers would have freshman Braylee Finck went to the mound before the Manatees would finally get on the board in the bottom of the sixth beginning with a two-out walk drawn by Hampton before Hughes doubled to left to send Hampton home. After freshman Carly Bogart hit a single to left, classmate Madi Schaefer sent Hughes home with a double to center to make it 5-2 still in favor of LLCC.
At the top of the seventh, the Loggers would add two more runs after Virgin scored on a fielding error off of a fly ball by Settles before freshman Mackenzie Owens sent Settles home with a single.
In the bottom of the seventh, it was now or never for the Manatees as they went all in to at least tie the game. After the Manatees loaded the bases from a leadoff single by Koczersut and back-to-back walks by Lightbody and Hutcherson. Kopp would show her power once again, like in the first game, as she towered a grand slam to right to make it 7-6, still in favor of LLCC. It was Kopp's third home run of the season and her second of the series. The Loggers would then put Schaake in the game to pitch.
Hampton would then draw a walk before Hughes and Bogart hit back-to-back singles to load the bases for Schaefer. On a full count, Schaefer was able to draw a walk and tie the game at 7-7 before going into extra innings with the Texas Tiebreaker in effect once again.
Even with sophomore Mackenzie Wagner placed on the second after being the last batter out, Hampton had no trouble breezing through to give the Manatees their opportunity. Lightbody would be the one to seal the deal as the Tampa native who moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Hutcherson before scoring the game-winner on a passed ball for the win.
Hulme and Behl were both dubbed with no decisions. Hulme gave up five runs (four earned) on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts in three and two-thirds, while Behl threw five scoreless innings with two walks.
Hampton would earn the win after giving up two unearned runs on two hits with four strikeouts in two and two-thirds innings of relief. She is now 4-3 on the year.
Schaake would be dubbed with her second straight loss after giving up one run on two hits with two walks in one and a third.
Hughes would lead the Manatees in the hit column as she finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen and 3-for-7 overall with two RBI.
Bogart (2-for-3, one walk) and Koczersut (2-for-5, one run scored) each had two hits. Koczersut would finish the series 3-for-7 with an RBI and two runs.
Kopp would finish 1-for-4 with the grand slam and 2-for-7 in the series with two home runs and seven RBI.
Schaefer and Salazar would have the team's final two hits. Schaefer (1-for-2) added two RBI and a walk.
Littrel led the Loggers in batting as she went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Virgin was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. Virgin was the only Logger with a multi-RBI game.
Notes:
The two wins for Schuerman put her at 198 in her career and needs two to reach 200 career wins as head coach for the Manatees.
Up Next:
With non-conference set aside, the Manatees can now focus on conference play as they travel to Clearwater to take on St. Pete (21-11) Tuesday afternoon, March 17 at 4 and 6 pm.
Game One:
For game one, head coach Mandy Schuerman sent sophomore Madi LoCastro to the mound, while LLCC head coach Rachel Wisner sent sophomore Jacey Nall to counter.
The Loggers would be the first to score at the top of the first after sophomore Abigail Walters scored when classmate Brooke Webber reached on an error, but the Manatees would answer back in the bottom half, thanks to a three run shot by Kopp brought in classmates Lauren Lightbody and Lauren Hutcherson to make it 3-1 SCF. It was Kopp's second home run of the season.
Two innings later, the Manatees would extend their lead to 4-1 after freshman Maddie Koczersut sent Lightbody home with a single.
At the top of the sixth, the Loggers would soon tie the game at 4-4 after a two-RBI double by freshman Katie Schaake and two RBI singles by Walters and freshman Kayla Settles. This signaled the end for LoCastro as Schuerman sent freshman Ally Hulme to the mound to close the sixth inning in success.
After both teams failed to score in the seventh, the game went into extra innings with freshman Makenna Byers placed at second per the International Tiebreaker rule. Despite that, Hulme was able to breeze through the inning with two strikeouts, giving the Manatees an opportunity to go for the win.
With sophomore Makayla Benavidez placed on second to pinch run for classmate Madelyn Graham, who was the last out in the bottom of the seventh, LoCastro would send Benavidez to third with a sacrifice bunt before freshman Emily Hughes sent Benavidez home with a sacrifice fly to left for the win.
LoCastro and Nall would each earn a no-decision. LoCastro gave up all four runs (three earned) on 10 hits with one walk in five and a third innings, while Nall gave up three runs on three hits with four walks in two innings. LoCastro was also 1-for-3 in the game.
Hulme would earn her seventh win of the season after throwing two and two-thirds innings of relief with six strikeouts. Hulme is now 7-4 on the year.
Schaake would be dubbed with the loss after giving up two runs on five hits in five and two-thirds innings of relief. She was also 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Sophomore Courtney Keller also had a multi-hit game as she finished 2-for-3 with a run.
Lightbody and Hutcherson each were 2-for-4 with a run scored. Kopp finished game one 1-for-3 with the home run and three RBI, while freshman Lilly Salazar had the Manatees' final hit as she finished 1-for-3.
Aside from Schaake and Keller, Walters also had a multi-hit game as she finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Game Two:
Schuerman sent Hulme to the mound to start game two, while Wisner sent sophomore Megan Behl.
In a turn of events, the Loggers would be the first on the board in the first two innings after an RBI single by Settles in the first inning and an RBI single by freshman Rebecca Littrel and two-RBI triple by sophomore Shaye Virgin in the second made it 4-0 LLCC.
After the Loggers added one more at the top of the fourth after a Virgin RBI single, Schuerman pulled Hulme and sent freshman Samantha Hampton to the mound for relief in success.
After a scoreless fifth, the Loggers would have freshman Braylee Finck went to the mound before the Manatees would finally get on the board in the bottom of the sixth beginning with a two-out walk drawn by Hampton before Hughes doubled to left to send Hampton home. After freshman Carly Bogart hit a single to left, classmate Madi Schaefer sent Hughes home with a double to center to make it 5-2 still in favor of LLCC.
At the top of the seventh, the Loggers would add two more runs after Virgin scored on a fielding error off of a fly ball by Settles before freshman Mackenzie Owens sent Settles home with a single.
In the bottom of the seventh, it was now or never for the Manatees as they went all in to at least tie the game. After the Manatees loaded the bases from a leadoff single by Koczersut and back-to-back walks by Lightbody and Hutcherson. Kopp would show her power once again, like in the first game, as she towered a grand slam to right to make it 7-6, still in favor of LLCC. It was Kopp's third home run of the season and her second of the series. The Loggers would then put Schaake in the game to pitch.
Hampton would then draw a walk before Hughes and Bogart hit back-to-back singles to load the bases for Schaefer. On a full count, Schaefer was able to draw a walk and tie the game at 7-7 before going into extra innings with the Texas Tiebreaker in effect once again.
Even with sophomore Mackenzie Wagner placed on the second after being the last batter out, Hampton had no trouble breezing through to give the Manatees their opportunity. Lightbody would be the one to seal the deal as the Tampa native who moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Hutcherson before scoring the game-winner on a passed ball for the win.
Hulme and Behl were both dubbed with no decisions. Hulme gave up five runs (four earned) on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts in three and two-thirds, while Behl threw five scoreless innings with two walks.
Hampton would earn the win after giving up two unearned runs on two hits with four strikeouts in two and two-thirds innings of relief. She is now 4-3 on the year.
Schaake would be dubbed with her second straight loss after giving up one run on two hits with two walks in one and a third.
Hughes would lead the Manatees in the hit column as she finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen and 3-for-7 overall with two RBI.
Bogart (2-for-3, one walk) and Koczersut (2-for-5, one run scored) each had two hits. Koczersut would finish the series 3-for-7 with an RBI and two runs.
Kopp would finish 1-for-4 with the grand slam and 2-for-7 in the series with two home runs and seven RBI.
Schaefer and Salazar would have the team's final two hits. Schaefer (1-for-2) added two RBI and a walk.
Littrel led the Loggers in batting as she went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Virgin was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. Virgin was the only Logger with a multi-RBI game.
Notes:
The two wins for Schuerman put her at 198 in her career and needs two to reach 200 career wins as head coach for the Manatees.
Up Next:
With non-conference set aside, the Manatees can now focus on conference play as they travel to Clearwater to take on St. Pete (21-11) Tuesday afternoon, March 17 at 4 and 6 pm.
SCF Baseball Takes Series Over Polk State
The SCF baseball team (15-11, 4-1 Suncoast) claimed another series in Suncoast Conference play as they blew out Polk State (12-13, 1-4 Suncoast) 14-2 in seven innings. With the win, the Manatees are now 31-23 against the Eagles.
Updated Suncoast Standings:
1. SCF (15-11, 4-1 Suncoast)
2. FSW (16-10, 3-2 Suncoast)
3. HCC (14-13, 3-2 Suncoast)
4. SFSC (16-12, 2-3 Suncoast)
5. SPC (12-12, 2-3 Suncoast)
6. Polk State (12-13, 1-4 Suncoast)
"The guys played great and to do that on our home field with an important conference game is nice to see," said head coach Tim Hill II. "We have had a lot of adversity this season with some tough injuries and late inning losses and these guys have hung in there and I think the adversity will pay off in the long run. We still have 25 more of these games to go, but it's nice for them and I did tell them to enjoy this one and come back ready for work tomorrow in practice, so it was good to see the guys play well all faces of the game."
"I told the guys to take care of the field because this was a big game," continued Hill II. "We take care of business at home and start pulling away from these guys (Polk State). If we slip up, then they get closer, so it's like a two-game swing and they challenged themselves on the field and they did well."
"It's feels good to go 2-0 in conference because we are one of the best," said sophomore Jamarcus Lyons. "It feels good to beat teams easily. I think we should be ready to come out Wednesday to get a sweep, play hard and have a good game Wednesday."
"It feels good to come up 2-0 against Polk State," said freshman Cameron Lee on the win. "It was a good start for us."
"It feels great and the team has been playing great all-around and we have been playing really good defense," said sophomore Cole Ayers. "We also have been swinging the bat really good and when I get to step onto the mound and pitch in a series knowing that my defense is playing really good and were swinging the bat hot, it's pretty easy to go out there and pitch like you know how."
Hill sent Cole Ayers to the mound, Polk State head coach Al Corbeil sent sophomore Kyle Gamble to counter.
After a scoreless first inning, the Manatees would be the first to strike beginning with a leadoff walk by freshman Richard Rodriguez. After sophomore Remy Patry drew a walk, classmate Rook Ellington would send a single to right to bring in Rodriguez for a 1-0 SCF lead. It did not stop there for the Manatees with Lyons at the plate as the UCF transfer send a bomb to left on a full count for a 4-0 SCF lead. It was Lyons' fourth home run of the season.
"Before that at-bat, I thought about if he (Gamble) was going to throw a fastball, I was going to put it over the fence," said Lyons on the home run. "I saw the fastball on the full count, which I was expecting, and I just let hands do the work with my strength and let the ball fly."
The Eagles would then get on the board at the top of the third with two runs after freshman George Davis scored on a wild pitch before freshman Rohsean Riley hit an RBI single to make it 4-2 SCF, but the Manatees would respond back starting with a leadoff double by sophomore John Malcom before freshman Owen Ayers drove him in with a double of his own. One batter later, freshman Jacob Steinberg would pop a single to left to bring in Ayers for a 6-2 SCF lead before Lee reached on a fielder's choice, while Steinberg scored on an error to make it 7-2 SCF.
While the Manatees kept the lead, Cole Ayers continued to play his part on the mound through the first four innings with five strikeouts.
In the bottom of the fourth, Owen Ayers would send a single to left to bring in sophomore Aaron McKeithan for an 8-2 lead before Cole Ayers closed the top of the fifth inning with three more strikeouts. In the bottom of the fifth, Ellington would send a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Steinberg for a 9-2 lead before the end of the fifth.
Sophomore Toni Rossi would then enter the game for Cole Ayers at the top of the sixth before the Manatees put the onslaught in the bottom half beginning with a one-out walk by Malcom. One batter later, Rodriguez would draw a walk before Steinberg sent a single to left to bring in Malcom. After Patry drew a walk to load the bases, Lee would bring the mercy rule in effect with his first collegiate grand slam and his second home run of the season before Rossi ended the game in the seventh.
"While it being a 1-0 count, I honestly wanted to get the head out and that's what I did," said Lee on his first collegiate grand slam.
"It was good to see Cam put the finishing touches on the game with the grand slam," said Hill on Lee. "It was good to see him square the ball up. He does some good things for us and gets on base and it's nice to see him drive the ball like he did. He's a strong kid."
"Compared to the first game, we had fun but it was more of a relaxed day," said Lyons on the win. "We didn't score as many runs in the first game but (Daniel) Batcher pulled it off by throwing eight innings and Jake Mattos coming in to close the door. Today the bats were hot and the pitching was amazing, so it always feels good to win and today was one of those days where there was a lot more than others."
Cole Ayers would earn his third win of the season after throwing five innings, giving up two runs on six hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. Ayers is now 3-2 on the year.
"I felt really good out there," said Ayers on his performance. "I knew that when we turned that double play in the first and only threw 12 pitches, I knew it was going to be a good day and cruise through it while the bats were starting to pick up to give our team some confidence so I know that I can go out there and throw the ball out over the plate to make plays."
Rossi threw two scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit and striking out four.
Gamble would be hit with the loss after giving up four runs on four hits with four walks in one and a third innings. Gamble would go to 2-2 on the season.
Sophomore Carter Slentz gave up five runs (four earned) on nine hits with three strikeouts in three and two-thirds of relief, while freshman Jacob Heath gave up five runs on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning.
Lee and Lyons would be the leaders for the Manatees offense as they both went 2-for-4 with a home run. Lee added four RBI, a run and a walk, while Lyons added three RBI and a run.
Steinberg had the most hits out of the team as he went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored.
McKeithan (2-for-4, one run), Owen Ayers (2-for-4, two RBI and one run scored) and Patry (2-for-2, two walks and two runs scored) each had two hits.
Ellington (1-for-4, two RBI) and Malcom (1-for-2, two walks and a run) had the Manatees' final two hits.
Freshman Jakob Hines was the only Eagle with a multi-hit game as he went 2-for-3.
Other Suncoast Scores:
Hillsborough (14-13, 3-2 Suncoast) defeated Florida Southwestern (16-10, 3-2 Suncoast) 8-4 to tie the series at 1-1. Both teams will play in their rubber match Wednesday afternoon, March 11 at 3:30 pm at Hillsborough.
South Florida (16-12, 2-3 Suncoast) tied the series as they defeated St. Pete (12-12, 2-3 Suncoast) 10-0 via mercy rule. Both teams will play in their rubber match Wednesday afternoon, March 11 at 6 pm at St. Pete.
South Florida (16-12, 2-3 Suncoast) tied the series as they defeated St. Pete (12-12, 2-3 Suncoast) 10-0 via mercy rule. Both teams will play in their rubber match Wednesday afternoon, March 11 at 6 pm at St. Pete.
Updated Suncoast Standings:
1. SCF (15-11, 4-1 Suncoast)
2. FSW (16-10, 3-2 Suncoast)
3. HCC (14-13, 3-2 Suncoast)
4. SFSC (16-12, 2-3 Suncoast)
5. SPC (12-12, 2-3 Suncoast)
6. Polk State (12-13, 1-4 Suncoast)
Up Next:
The Manatees will look to sweep Polk State at Bing Tyus Yard in Avon Park Wednesday night, March 11 at 6 pm. Sophomore Jake Smith has been given the nod to pitch game three.
SCF Tennis Falls to Broward
The SCF tennis team (2-6, 0-4 Region 8) dropped a heartbreaker at the SCF Tennis Complex as they fell 7-2 to Broward (2-0, 2-0 Region 8).
In doubles play, sophomore Sara Ramirez-Goncalves and freshman Karla Menendez won the Manatees only double point at #1 doubles by a score of 8-6. The Seahawks remained ahead 2-1.
Heading into singles play, freshman Allie Beck would be the first to fall at #6 singles as she lost a 6-0 pair decision to sophomore Bar Shimoni before redshirt freshman Mackenzie Vraspir to sophomore Giulia Leali 6-1, 6-2 at #5 singles.
Sophomore Brie Botsford would fall 6-3, 6-2 to freshman Polina Khotko at #4 singles for the Seahawks win.
Finishing up the last three matches, Menendez would fall 6-2, 6-4 to freshman Ajda Bukovec at #2 singles, but soon freshman Martina Shakhnazarova would give the Manatees their second point at #3 singles over freshman Lizaveta Krasouskaya with a 6-2 pair decision.
Ramirez-Goncalves would be the last Manatee to fall at #1 singles to freshman Isabella Elena Perez Flores in a 6-4 pair decision.
Up Next:
The Manatees remain at home as they welcome Hillsborough to the SCF Tennis Complex Thursday afternoon, March 12 at 3 pm.
In doubles play, sophomore Sara Ramirez-Goncalves and freshman Karla Menendez won the Manatees only double point at #1 doubles by a score of 8-6. The Seahawks remained ahead 2-1.
Heading into singles play, freshman Allie Beck would be the first to fall at #6 singles as she lost a 6-0 pair decision to sophomore Bar Shimoni before redshirt freshman Mackenzie Vraspir to sophomore Giulia Leali 6-1, 6-2 at #5 singles.
Sophomore Brie Botsford would fall 6-3, 6-2 to freshman Polina Khotko at #4 singles for the Seahawks win.
Finishing up the last three matches, Menendez would fall 6-2, 6-4 to freshman Ajda Bukovec at #2 singles, but soon freshman Martina Shakhnazarova would give the Manatees their second point at #3 singles over freshman Lizaveta Krasouskaya with a 6-2 pair decision.
Ramirez-Goncalves would be the last Manatee to fall at #1 singles to freshman Isabella Elena Perez Flores in a 6-4 pair decision.
Up Next:
The Manatees remain at home as they welcome Hillsborough to the SCF Tennis Complex Thursday afternoon, March 12 at 3 pm.
SCF Softball Welcomes Final Great Lakes Team
The SCF softball team (18-12) return home for one final home series before Suncoast Conference play as they welcome Lincoln Land CC (3-3) to the SCF Softball Complex Wednesday night, March 11 at 4 and 6 pm. This will be the first ever matchup for both teams.
Last Time Out:
The Manatees came off of being swept by Seminole State losing by scores of 2-0 and 6-4 on the road. Seminole State was listed as #10 in the NJCAA National Poll.
Six players have at least 10 RBI in their regime: sophomore Madi LoCastro (13) and freshmen Samantha Hampton (10), Emily Hughes (13), Kristin Kopp (15), Lauren Hutcherson (17) and Maddie Koczersut (22). Hutcherson leads the team with a .382 batting average, while Koczersut leads the team with four home runs and 16 walks.
Freshmen Lauren Lightbody and Lilly Salazar continue their dominance in speed. Lightbody is batting .379 with a team-leading 33 hits and 12 stolen bases, while Salazar is batting .313 with 26 hits and 11 stolen bases.
Meanwhile, sophomore Ashlee Zientek is 4-3 with a 2.75 ERA and 53 strikeouts. Zientek pitched in game two of the series against Seminole State, throwing five innings of relief with two strikeouts.
Freshman Ally Hulme is 6-4 with a 3.73 ERA and 36 strikeouts despite giving up three runs in one inning in game two against Seminole State.
As far as coaching, head coach Mandy Schuerman is only four wins away from reaching 200 career wins as head coach for the Manatees.
Upcoming Feature Story:
So far on my part, I have done four feature stories for the SCF athletics and for the next upcoming feature story, I have chosen to do one on the quartet of a reunion. This one will tell the story LoCastro, Hughes, Koczersut and Madi Schaefer as I will talk with them about their combined story of them playing in high school (Lakewood Ranch) to reuniting and playing in college together at SCF.
Scouting Lincoln Land:
Lincoln Land Community College hails from Springfield, Illinois and represent NJCAA DII Region 24 (Mid-West Athletic Conference). They are known as the Loggers and are led by Rachel Wisner. Wisner, a alum of the college, enters her first season as head coach after spending the last season as assistant coach under the wing of John Marsaglia, who retired after 10 seasons with the Loggers.
The Loggers opened their season with a doubleheader against NJCAA Region 16 St. Charles CC winning by scores of 4-3 and 8-2 in Missouri. The Loggers flew to Florida, assumingly Friday, and opened their trip against Lake Sumter Sunday where they split with the Lakehawks winning game one 4-0 before losing game two 8-1 before being swept by #10 Seminole State College of Florida Monday afternoon, March 9 losing by scores of 12-1 and 10-2 both via mercy rule.
Sophomore Jacey Nall finished last season 10-9 last season with a 4.65 ERA and 80 strikeouts. Currently, Nall is 2-0 with 11 strikeouts. In her last start, Nall threw five scoreless innings against LSSC with five strikeouts.
At the plate, freshman Rebecca Littrel is batting .625 with 10 hits and three RBI. Against LSSC, she went 5-for-8 with one RBI and two stolen bases.
SCF Fun Fact:
Since 2012, the SCF softball team is currently 45-7 against JUCOs that are not from Florida.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats are provided by GameChanger and fans can keep up with both teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFSoftball
LLCC: @Loggersoftball
Livestats: https://gc.com/t/spring-2019/state-college-of-florida-softball-5c4617fc03d69700218c16d3
Last Time Out:
The Manatees came off of being swept by Seminole State losing by scores of 2-0 and 6-4 on the road. Seminole State was listed as #10 in the NJCAA National Poll.
Six players have at least 10 RBI in their regime: sophomore Madi LoCastro (13) and freshmen Samantha Hampton (10), Emily Hughes (13), Kristin Kopp (15), Lauren Hutcherson (17) and Maddie Koczersut (22). Hutcherson leads the team with a .382 batting average, while Koczersut leads the team with four home runs and 16 walks.
Freshmen Lauren Lightbody and Lilly Salazar continue their dominance in speed. Lightbody is batting .379 with a team-leading 33 hits and 12 stolen bases, while Salazar is batting .313 with 26 hits and 11 stolen bases.
Meanwhile, sophomore Ashlee Zientek is 4-3 with a 2.75 ERA and 53 strikeouts. Zientek pitched in game two of the series against Seminole State, throwing five innings of relief with two strikeouts.
Freshman Ally Hulme is 6-4 with a 3.73 ERA and 36 strikeouts despite giving up three runs in one inning in game two against Seminole State.
As far as coaching, head coach Mandy Schuerman is only four wins away from reaching 200 career wins as head coach for the Manatees.
Upcoming Feature Story:
So far on my part, I have done four feature stories for the SCF athletics and for the next upcoming feature story, I have chosen to do one on the quartet of a reunion. This one will tell the story LoCastro, Hughes, Koczersut and Madi Schaefer as I will talk with them about their combined story of them playing in high school (Lakewood Ranch) to reuniting and playing in college together at SCF.
Scouting Lincoln Land:
Lincoln Land Community College hails from Springfield, Illinois and represent NJCAA DII Region 24 (Mid-West Athletic Conference). They are known as the Loggers and are led by Rachel Wisner. Wisner, a alum of the college, enters her first season as head coach after spending the last season as assistant coach under the wing of John Marsaglia, who retired after 10 seasons with the Loggers.
The Loggers opened their season with a doubleheader against NJCAA Region 16 St. Charles CC winning by scores of 4-3 and 8-2 in Missouri. The Loggers flew to Florida, assumingly Friday, and opened their trip against Lake Sumter Sunday where they split with the Lakehawks winning game one 4-0 before losing game two 8-1 before being swept by #10 Seminole State College of Florida Monday afternoon, March 9 losing by scores of 12-1 and 10-2 both via mercy rule.
Sophomore Jacey Nall finished last season 10-9 last season with a 4.65 ERA and 80 strikeouts. Currently, Nall is 2-0 with 11 strikeouts. In her last start, Nall threw five scoreless innings against LSSC with five strikeouts.
At the plate, freshman Rebecca Littrel is batting .625 with 10 hits and three RBI. Against LSSC, she went 5-for-8 with one RBI and two stolen bases.
SCF Fun Fact:
Since 2012, the SCF softball team is currently 45-7 against JUCOs that are not from Florida.
How to Keep Up:
Livestats are provided by GameChanger and fans can keep up with both teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFSoftball
LLCC: @Loggersoftball
Livestats: https://gc.com/t/spring-2019/state-college-of-florida-softball-5c4617fc03d69700218c16d3
SCF Softball Falls in Doubleheader
The SCF softball team (18-12) fell in a doubleheader to #10 Seminole State (26-1, 4-1 Southern) by score of 2-0 and 6-4. With the losses, the Manatees are now 7-15 against the Raiders.
Game One:
For game one, head coach Mandy Schuerman sent sophomore Madi LoCastro to the mound while Seminole head coach Courtney Miller sent Marissa Adame to counter.
The Raiders would get their two runs in the bottom of the first after an RBI single by freshman Liz Cutlip and classmate Logan Keith scoring on a field error. The Manatees were able to produce any run support.
LoCastro would be hit with the loss after giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits with one strikeout in six innings. LoCastro is now 4-3 on the year.
Adame would end up with her 10th win of the season after a shutout with one walk and six strikeouts.
Freshmen Maddie Koczersut, Emily Hughes and Kristin Kopp had the Manatees lone three hits.
Game Two:
For game two, Schuerman sent freshman Ally Hulme to the mound while Miller sent sophomore Samantha Guider to counter.
The Manatees would get on the board first at the top of the first after freshman Lauren Hutcherson popped a fly ball to first to reach on a fielding error before Koczersut scored, but the Raiders would answer back in the bottom of the second after RBI singles by sophomores Kelly Dwyer and Amy Lee and freshman Haley Pippin. This signaled the end for Hulme as sophomore Ashlee Zientek would come in to finish the inning.
The Raiders would add two more runs in the bottom of the third to make it 5-1 after two run blast by Dwyer. It was her first home run of the season.
At the top of the sixth, the Manatees brought in their second run after LoCastro grounded out to bring in freshman Lauren Lightbody, but the Raiders would add one of their own after an RBI double by sophomore Allie Carroll to make it 6-2 Seminole State.
The Manatees would take one final crack at the top of the seventh. After one out singles by sophomore Makayla Benavidez, Koczersut and Hughes to load the bases, Lightbody would send a double to right to bring in Benavidez and Koczersut, but it was they could produce in the loss.
Hulme would be dubbed with her fourth loss after giving up three run on six hits with one walk in one innings. Hulme is now 6-4 on the year.
Zientek gave up three runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in five innings of relief.
Guider would get her sixth win of the season after throwing a complete game, giving up four runs (two earned) on eight hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Guider is now 6-1 on the year.
Benavidez would have the Manatees only multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 with a run.
Lightbody finished 1-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base. She was the only Manatee with a multi-RBI game.
Koczersut, Hughes, Hutcherson, Kopp and freshman Lilly Salazar had the teams remaining five hits.
Up Next:
The Manatees return to the SCF Softball Complex as they welcome Lincoln Land CC (2-0) Wednesday night, March 11 at 4 and 6 pm.
Game One:
For game one, head coach Mandy Schuerman sent sophomore Madi LoCastro to the mound while Seminole head coach Courtney Miller sent Marissa Adame to counter.
The Raiders would get their two runs in the bottom of the first after an RBI single by freshman Liz Cutlip and classmate Logan Keith scoring on a field error. The Manatees were able to produce any run support.
LoCastro would be hit with the loss after giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits with one strikeout in six innings. LoCastro is now 4-3 on the year.
Adame would end up with her 10th win of the season after a shutout with one walk and six strikeouts.
Freshmen Maddie Koczersut, Emily Hughes and Kristin Kopp had the Manatees lone three hits.
Game Two:
For game two, Schuerman sent freshman Ally Hulme to the mound while Miller sent sophomore Samantha Guider to counter.
The Manatees would get on the board first at the top of the first after freshman Lauren Hutcherson popped a fly ball to first to reach on a fielding error before Koczersut scored, but the Raiders would answer back in the bottom of the second after RBI singles by sophomores Kelly Dwyer and Amy Lee and freshman Haley Pippin. This signaled the end for Hulme as sophomore Ashlee Zientek would come in to finish the inning.
The Raiders would add two more runs in the bottom of the third to make it 5-1 after two run blast by Dwyer. It was her first home run of the season.
At the top of the sixth, the Manatees brought in their second run after LoCastro grounded out to bring in freshman Lauren Lightbody, but the Raiders would add one of their own after an RBI double by sophomore Allie Carroll to make it 6-2 Seminole State.
The Manatees would take one final crack at the top of the seventh. After one out singles by sophomore Makayla Benavidez, Koczersut and Hughes to load the bases, Lightbody would send a double to right to bring in Benavidez and Koczersut, but it was they could produce in the loss.
Hulme would be dubbed with her fourth loss after giving up three run on six hits with one walk in one innings. Hulme is now 6-4 on the year.
Zientek gave up three runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in five innings of relief.
Guider would get her sixth win of the season after throwing a complete game, giving up four runs (two earned) on eight hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Guider is now 6-1 on the year.
Benavidez would have the Manatees only multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 with a run.
Lightbody finished 1-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base. She was the only Manatee with a multi-RBI game.
Koczersut, Hughes, Hutcherson, Kopp and freshman Lilly Salazar had the teams remaining five hits.
Up Next:
The Manatees return to the SCF Softball Complex as they welcome Lincoln Land CC (2-0) Wednesday night, March 11 at 4 and 6 pm.
FGCU WBB vs Lipscomb: A-SUN Conference Tournament Quarterfinals Recap
Redshirt senior Davion Wingate poured in a single-game record 38 points, while classmate Ashli O'Neal had a season-high 21 points as the No. 24 FGCU women's basketball team (29-3) routed Lipscomb (7-23) 105-71 in an A-SUN quarterfinal matchup inside Alico Arena on Saturday night in front of 1,710 fans.
With the win, the top-seeded Eagles advance to Wednesday's semifinal against fifth-seeded North Florida, who knocked off Jacksonville in overtime on Saturday for their first A-SUN tournament win in 10 years. No. 2 North Alabama and No. 3 Liberty will meet in the other semifinal. The Green and Blue are now 23-2 all-time in the A-SUN tournament.
"Obviously, the first quarter, we came out with good energy. We shared the ball, took good shots and shot an exceptional percentage," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "Davion really got us going. She was aggressive and finding good opportunities from the start. And then Ashli, in that first half, came off the bench and immediately started knocking down shots and doing good things for us. It's a great start to the tournament. I like the way we came out. Now we're going to going to have to prepare for a really good team and compete again."
Wingate finished 13-for-16 from the field, including 6-for-7 from 3-point range while adding five rebounds, three assists and one steal. It was her third 30-point outing of the season, and her 38 points eclipsed the program's previous Division I era single-game scoring record of 36 set by Rosemarie Julien and senior Nasrin Ulel. Furthermore, the team's 105 points ties an A-SUN tournament single-game team record that was coincidentally set by the Eagles two years ago against Lipscomb.
O'Neal tallied her season-high 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including a 4-for-5 finish from long distance. She added a pair of steals and rebounds over 20 minutes and topped her previous season-high of 20 set against Saint Francis. Ulel added 10 points, five assists and two rebounds, while nine others also scored.
On the glass, senior Tytionia Adderly had a game-high 12 rebounds while adding seven points, four assists, two steals and a block. It was her third straight game in double-figure rebounds, and she needed just 15 minutes of play to accomplish it. Overall, she pushed her career total to 1,171, which is 72 shy of eclipsing Georgia Southern product Phylette Blake's all-time A-SUN record of 1,242 from 1985-89). Ulel, meanwhile, now sits at 225 career made 3-pointers after her two against Lipscomb. She needs two more to move into a tie for 10th-place in A-SUN history.
As a team, FGCU finished 36-for-75 (.480) from the field, including a 16-for-37 (.432) performance from 3-point range. With those 16, the Eagles have now made 386 this year, which gives them the second-most in a single-season in program history and moves them into a tie with the 2016 Sacramento State squad for fifth-most in a single-season in NCAA Division I history. Only three teams have ever made 400 in a season, including the 2017-18 version of the Green and Blue, who hold the all-time record with 431.
Adderly, who poured in a career-high seven 3-pointers in the last meeting against Lipscomb, drained a left-wing 3-pointer just over a minute into the game to open the scoring. The Eagles continued to pour it on, jumping out to a 16-0 lead to open the game in a run that featured buckets from four different players along with four points, two rebounds and an assist from Wingate.
After Lipscomb's Taylor Clark drove the left side for a layup with 4:33 left in the opening quarter for her team's first points of the game, the Eagles scored the next 14 points with five more from Wingate. By the time the dust settled, FGCU led 30-2 and eventually held a 31-point advantage at the end of the quarter.
In the second quarter, Wingate put on a show by scoring 18 of her 29 first-half points on 6-for-6 shooting. She made all four of her 3-point attempts in the quarter, including one from straightaway as time expired. She also assisted on two of the five other field goals for the Eagles in the frame and converted a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays.
The visiting Bisons, featuring a young and up-and-coming roster, didn't back down in the second half despite the score as they outscored FGCU 49-40 over the final 20 minutes. Lipscomb's Jalyn Holcomb, who became the first player in program history to be named the A-SUN's Freshman of the Year, finished with a team-high 15 points.
FGCU is now 28-0 all-time against Lipscomb, including three wins in the A-SUN tournament, and every win has been by double-digits.
Tickets for Wednesday's quarterfinal can be purchased online here, or by stopping by the FGCU ticket office Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A-SUN Quarterfinal Results
No. 5 North Florida 77, No. 4 Jacksonville 67 (OT)
No. 2 North Alabama 70, No. 7 Stetson 60
No. 3 Liberty 91, No. 6 Kennesaw State 86
No. 1 FGCU 105, No. 8 Lipscomb 71
A-SUN Semifinal Matchups
Wednesday, March 11
No. 1 FGCU vs No. 5 North Florida, 7 p.m.
No. 2 North Alabama vs No. 3 Liberty, 7 p.m.
Bracket Updates:
Two teams have punched in their tickets so far for the national tournament: Boise State (MWC) and Southeast Missouri State (OVC).
With the win, the top-seeded Eagles advance to Wednesday's semifinal against fifth-seeded North Florida, who knocked off Jacksonville in overtime on Saturday for their first A-SUN tournament win in 10 years. No. 2 North Alabama and No. 3 Liberty will meet in the other semifinal. The Green and Blue are now 23-2 all-time in the A-SUN tournament.
"Obviously, the first quarter, we came out with good energy. We shared the ball, took good shots and shot an exceptional percentage," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "Davion really got us going. She was aggressive and finding good opportunities from the start. And then Ashli, in that first half, came off the bench and immediately started knocking down shots and doing good things for us. It's a great start to the tournament. I like the way we came out. Now we're going to going to have to prepare for a really good team and compete again."
Wingate finished 13-for-16 from the field, including 6-for-7 from 3-point range while adding five rebounds, three assists and one steal. It was her third 30-point outing of the season, and her 38 points eclipsed the program's previous Division I era single-game scoring record of 36 set by Rosemarie Julien and senior Nasrin Ulel. Furthermore, the team's 105 points ties an A-SUN tournament single-game team record that was coincidentally set by the Eagles two years ago against Lipscomb.
O'Neal tallied her season-high 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including a 4-for-5 finish from long distance. She added a pair of steals and rebounds over 20 minutes and topped her previous season-high of 20 set against Saint Francis. Ulel added 10 points, five assists and two rebounds, while nine others also scored.
On the glass, senior Tytionia Adderly had a game-high 12 rebounds while adding seven points, four assists, two steals and a block. It was her third straight game in double-figure rebounds, and she needed just 15 minutes of play to accomplish it. Overall, she pushed her career total to 1,171, which is 72 shy of eclipsing Georgia Southern product Phylette Blake's all-time A-SUN record of 1,242 from 1985-89). Ulel, meanwhile, now sits at 225 career made 3-pointers after her two against Lipscomb. She needs two more to move into a tie for 10th-place in A-SUN history.
As a team, FGCU finished 36-for-75 (.480) from the field, including a 16-for-37 (.432) performance from 3-point range. With those 16, the Eagles have now made 386 this year, which gives them the second-most in a single-season in program history and moves them into a tie with the 2016 Sacramento State squad for fifth-most in a single-season in NCAA Division I history. Only three teams have ever made 400 in a season, including the 2017-18 version of the Green and Blue, who hold the all-time record with 431.
Adderly, who poured in a career-high seven 3-pointers in the last meeting against Lipscomb, drained a left-wing 3-pointer just over a minute into the game to open the scoring. The Eagles continued to pour it on, jumping out to a 16-0 lead to open the game in a run that featured buckets from four different players along with four points, two rebounds and an assist from Wingate.
After Lipscomb's Taylor Clark drove the left side for a layup with 4:33 left in the opening quarter for her team's first points of the game, the Eagles scored the next 14 points with five more from Wingate. By the time the dust settled, FGCU led 30-2 and eventually held a 31-point advantage at the end of the quarter.
In the second quarter, Wingate put on a show by scoring 18 of her 29 first-half points on 6-for-6 shooting. She made all four of her 3-point attempts in the quarter, including one from straightaway as time expired. She also assisted on two of the five other field goals for the Eagles in the frame and converted a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays.
The visiting Bisons, featuring a young and up-and-coming roster, didn't back down in the second half despite the score as they outscored FGCU 49-40 over the final 20 minutes. Lipscomb's Jalyn Holcomb, who became the first player in program history to be named the A-SUN's Freshman of the Year, finished with a team-high 15 points.
FGCU is now 28-0 all-time against Lipscomb, including three wins in the A-SUN tournament, and every win has been by double-digits.
Tickets for Wednesday's quarterfinal can be purchased online here, or by stopping by the FGCU ticket office Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A-SUN Quarterfinal Results
No. 5 North Florida 77, No. 4 Jacksonville 67 (OT)
No. 2 North Alabama 70, No. 7 Stetson 60
No. 3 Liberty 91, No. 6 Kennesaw State 86
No. 1 FGCU 105, No. 8 Lipscomb 71
A-SUN Semifinal Matchups
Wednesday, March 11
No. 1 FGCU vs No. 5 North Florida, 7 p.m.
No. 2 North Alabama vs No. 3 Liberty, 7 p.m.
Bracket Updates:
Two teams have punched in their tickets so far for the national tournament: Boise State (MWC) and Southeast Missouri State (OVC).
SCF BVB Sets for Eckerd and St. Pete
The SCF beach volleyball team (3-0) will now set for another road trip as they head to the North Shore Beach in St. Pete for another tri-match. The Manatees will go against NCAA DII Eckerd College (3-1) at 1 pm and St. Pete (3-3) at 3 pm Tuesday afternoon, March 17. The match will be dubbed as an exhibition matchup between SCF and Eckerd.
Last Time Out:
The Manatees are coming off of competing in a tri-match at Hickory Point Beach in Tavares where they defeated NJCAA Region 4 Bryant and Stratton 3-2 and host Lake Sumter 4-1.
The freshmen duo of Bailey Sikkema and Lisa Jaunet and the duo of sophomore Lakeesha Esseboom and freshman Brooke Henry are currently 3-0 as pairs. Both pairs earned two wins against B&S and LSSC.
The duo of sophomore Sydney Jaco and freshman Leilani Wilcox-Nanai are 2-1 this season where the split in tri-match winning against B&S and losing to LSSC.
Scouting Eckerd:
Eckerd is led by head coach Michelle Piantadosi-Lima, who enters her eighth season as head coach and the 10th head coach in program history. The Tritons finished last season 2-22 overall and went 1-5 in the AVCA Small College Championship in Tavares.
The Tritons opened their season at the hosted event, the Eckerd College Battle at the Bay where they went 3-1 Splitting day one winning 3-2 against Florida Southern and losing 5-0 to Tampa before sweeping day two defeating Tennessee-Martin and Jacksonville both by a score of 3-2.
The duos of junior Paula Hoffmann and freshman Anna Jungjohann (No. 1 Pair) and sophomore Ivey Andrews and junior Payton Meader (No. 4 Pair) are both 3-1 so far.
Prior to playing SCF, the Tritons will host and face Tusculum University in a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon, March 11 at 2 and 4 pm.
Scouting SPC:
The Titans are led by indoor head coach Scott White and are coming off of starting the season at the Stetson Spring Fling Invitational in Deland where they split the first day losing 4-1 to #7 Stetson and winning 3-2 against NCAA DII St. Leo before being swept on day two losing 4-1 to #16 Georgia State and 5-0 to #18 Florida Atlantic.
The Titans would then play in St. Leo, Florida and defeat the University of Tennessee-Martin and host St. Leo both by a score of 3-2 on March 4
The duo of sophomore Roberta Ribeiro and freshman Petra Neciporuka are 5-1 on the season at the #1 spot.
How to Keep Up:
Fans can keep up with all three teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFVolleyball
SPC: @spcnews
Eckerd: @ECTritonsVBall
Last Time Out:
The Manatees are coming off of competing in a tri-match at Hickory Point Beach in Tavares where they defeated NJCAA Region 4 Bryant and Stratton 3-2 and host Lake Sumter 4-1.
The freshmen duo of Bailey Sikkema and Lisa Jaunet and the duo of sophomore Lakeesha Esseboom and freshman Brooke Henry are currently 3-0 as pairs. Both pairs earned two wins against B&S and LSSC.
The duo of sophomore Sydney Jaco and freshman Leilani Wilcox-Nanai are 2-1 this season where the split in tri-match winning against B&S and losing to LSSC.
Scouting Eckerd:
Eckerd is led by head coach Michelle Piantadosi-Lima, who enters her eighth season as head coach and the 10th head coach in program history. The Tritons finished last season 2-22 overall and went 1-5 in the AVCA Small College Championship in Tavares.
The Tritons opened their season at the hosted event, the Eckerd College Battle at the Bay where they went 3-1 Splitting day one winning 3-2 against Florida Southern and losing 5-0 to Tampa before sweeping day two defeating Tennessee-Martin and Jacksonville both by a score of 3-2.
The duos of junior Paula Hoffmann and freshman Anna Jungjohann (No. 1 Pair) and sophomore Ivey Andrews and junior Payton Meader (No. 4 Pair) are both 3-1 so far.
Prior to playing SCF, the Tritons will host and face Tusculum University in a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon, March 11 at 2 and 4 pm.
Scouting SPC:
The Titans are led by indoor head coach Scott White and are coming off of starting the season at the Stetson Spring Fling Invitational in Deland where they split the first day losing 4-1 to #7 Stetson and winning 3-2 against NCAA DII St. Leo before being swept on day two losing 4-1 to #16 Georgia State and 5-0 to #18 Florida Atlantic.
The Titans would then play in St. Leo, Florida and defeat the University of Tennessee-Martin and host St. Leo both by a score of 3-2 on March 4
The duo of sophomore Roberta Ribeiro and freshman Petra Neciporuka are 5-1 on the season at the #1 spot.
How to Keep Up:
Fans can keep up with all three teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFVolleyball
SPC: @spcnews
Eckerd: @ECTritonsVBall
SCF Baseball Claims First Game Over Polk State
The SCF baseball team (14-11, 3-1 Suncoast) pulled away with another moment of victory in Suncoast play as they shutout Polk State (12-12, 1-3 Suncoast) 5-0. With the win, the Manatees are now 30-23 against the Eagles.
Head coach Tim Hill II sent freshman Daniel Batcher to the mound, while Polk State head coach Al Corbeil sent freshman Scott Curran to counter.
For the first two innings, it was a pitcher's duel between Batcher and Curran as both pitcher had a combined five strikeouts. But then, Curran would be the first to buckle at the top of the third. After back-to-back singles by sophomores Rook Ellington and Jamarcus Lyons, classmate John Malcom would send a shot to right for his fifth home run of the season.
At the top of the fourth, the Eagles already made their first pitching change as Corbeil sent freshman Cole Kramer to the mound before the Manatees added their final runs. After a one-out single by Ellington, Malcom was able to send a double to right to bring in Ellington for a 4-0 SCF lead. Following that, sophomore Aaron McKeithan brought in Malcom with a single to short for a 5-0 SCF lead.
From there, Batcher finished off four innings before sophomore Jake Mattos got the final strikeout for the game and seal the deal for SCF.
Batcher would earn his second win of the season after eight scoreless innings, giving up three hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts. Batcher is 2-2 on the year. Mattos threw one scoreless inning with one strikeout.
Curran earned his first loss of the season, putting him at 0-1, after giving up three runs on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts in three innings.
Kramer gave up the final two runs on six hits with two strikeouts in four innings of relief, while sophomore Tyler Germanowski threw two scoreless innings with a walk and two strikeouts.
Malcom finished 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI. He was the only Manatee with a multi-RBI game.
Ellington, Lyons and freshman Owen Ayers were each 2-for-4. Ellington added two runs, while Lyons added one run and Ayers added a walk.
McKeithan finished 1-for-5 with the Manatees' final RBI, while freshmen Jacob Steinberg and Richard Rodriguez had the team remaining two hits.
Freshmen Dimerson Nunez was 2-for-4 for the Eagles and was the only one with a multi-hit game. Meanwhile, classmate Rohsean Riley and sophomore Dalton Boyd had the Eagles' lone two hits.
Other Suncoast Scores:
FSW (16-9, 3-1 Suncoast) defeated Hillsborough (13-13, 2-2 Suncoast) 15-5 to open the series.
St. Pete (12-11, 2-2 Suncoast) defeated South Florida State (14-12, 1-3 Suncoast) 6-0.
Updated Suncoast Standings:
1. FSW (16-9, 3-1 Suncoast)
2. SCF (14-11, 3-1 Suncoast)
3. SPC (12-11, 2-2 Suncoast)
4. HCC (13-13, 2-2 Suncoast)
5. SFSC (14-12, 1-3 Suncoast)
6. Polk State (12-12, 1-3 Suncoast)
Up Next:
Game two between SCF and Polk State will commence Monday night, March 9 at 6 pm at Wynn Field.
Head coach Tim Hill II sent freshman Daniel Batcher to the mound, while Polk State head coach Al Corbeil sent freshman Scott Curran to counter.
For the first two innings, it was a pitcher's duel between Batcher and Curran as both pitcher had a combined five strikeouts. But then, Curran would be the first to buckle at the top of the third. After back-to-back singles by sophomores Rook Ellington and Jamarcus Lyons, classmate John Malcom would send a shot to right for his fifth home run of the season.
At the top of the fourth, the Eagles already made their first pitching change as Corbeil sent freshman Cole Kramer to the mound before the Manatees added their final runs. After a one-out single by Ellington, Malcom was able to send a double to right to bring in Ellington for a 4-0 SCF lead. Following that, sophomore Aaron McKeithan brought in Malcom with a single to short for a 5-0 SCF lead.
From there, Batcher finished off four innings before sophomore Jake Mattos got the final strikeout for the game and seal the deal for SCF.
Batcher would earn his second win of the season after eight scoreless innings, giving up three hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts. Batcher is 2-2 on the year. Mattos threw one scoreless inning with one strikeout.
Curran earned his first loss of the season, putting him at 0-1, after giving up three runs on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts in three innings.
Kramer gave up the final two runs on six hits with two strikeouts in four innings of relief, while sophomore Tyler Germanowski threw two scoreless innings with a walk and two strikeouts.
Malcom finished 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI. He was the only Manatee with a multi-RBI game.
Ellington, Lyons and freshman Owen Ayers were each 2-for-4. Ellington added two runs, while Lyons added one run and Ayers added a walk.
McKeithan finished 1-for-5 with the Manatees' final RBI, while freshmen Jacob Steinberg and Richard Rodriguez had the team remaining two hits.
Freshmen Dimerson Nunez was 2-for-4 for the Eagles and was the only one with a multi-hit game. Meanwhile, classmate Rohsean Riley and sophomore Dalton Boyd had the Eagles' lone two hits.
Other Suncoast Scores:
FSW (16-9, 3-1 Suncoast) defeated Hillsborough (13-13, 2-2 Suncoast) 15-5 to open the series.
St. Pete (12-11, 2-2 Suncoast) defeated South Florida State (14-12, 1-3 Suncoast) 6-0.
Updated Suncoast Standings:
1. FSW (16-9, 3-1 Suncoast)
2. SCF (14-11, 3-1 Suncoast)
3. SPC (12-11, 2-2 Suncoast)
4. HCC (13-13, 2-2 Suncoast)
5. SFSC (14-12, 1-3 Suncoast)
6. Polk State (12-12, 1-3 Suncoast)
Up Next:
Game two between SCF and Polk State will commence Monday night, March 9 at 6 pm at Wynn Field.
SCF Baseball Sets Sights With Polk State
The SCF baseball team (13-11, 2-1 Suncoast) are set for their second series of Suncoast Conference play as they face Polk State (12-11, 1-2 Suncoast). The series will begin Saturday afternoon, March 7 at 1 pm at Bing Tyus Yard in Winter Haven. The second game will be at Wynn Field Monday night, March 9 at 6 pm before wrapping up the third game back at Bing Tyus Yard Wednesday night, March 11 at 6 pm.
Last Time Out:
The Manatees opened Suncoast play winning the series against South Florida State College winning game one 20-0 in seven innings and game two 2-1 in 11 innings before losing the final game 4-3.
Sophomore John Malcom continues to lead the Manatees offensively as he is batting .326 with four home runs, 22 RBI and 16 walks. In the whole series against South Florida State, Malcom finished 3-for-9 with two RBI and five walks.
Freshman Owen Ayers is batting a team-leading .347 with two home runs and 15 RBI. Ayers was 2-for-10 with two RBI against SFSC.
On the mound, sophomore Jake Smith and Cole Ayers lead the way in pitching.
Smith is currently 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA and 47 strikeouts. Smith pitched seven scoreless innings in the second game against South Florida State with a career-high 13 strikeouts for a no-decision.
Cole Ayers is 2-2 this season with a 2.28 ERA and 39 strikeouts. In the first game against SFSC, Ayers pitched a seven inning shutout with a career-high 10 strikeouts.
In the Lyons Den:
Sophomore Jamarcus Lyons showed his full power in the series against South Florida State. Lyons finished the series 4-for-14 with three home runs and eight RBI. Currently, Lyons is batting .323 with three home runs and 14 RBI.
Scouting Polk State:
The Eagles opened Suncoast play against Florida Southwestern where they dropped the series winning game two by a score of 4-3. They lost game one 9-5 and the deciding game three 2-1.
Sophomore Nick Wells is batting .277 with a home run and 15 RBI, while classmate Ty Crittenberger has two home runs and 14 RBI while batting .297.
On the mound, the freshman Andrew Long is 3-1 with a 1.27 ERA and 34 strikeouts. Sophomore Alex Goff leads the team with five saves while having a 0.71 ERA and 19 strikeouts.
Series History:
Overall, the Manatees are 29-23 against the Eagles. Last season, the Manatees claimed the series 4-2.
GameChanger Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2020/state-college-of-florida-manatees-varsity-5e26db014cf88f41b4aaf1c1
Twitter:
SCF: @SCFBaseball
Polk: @PolkStBaseball
Last Time Out:
The Manatees opened Suncoast play winning the series against South Florida State College winning game one 20-0 in seven innings and game two 2-1 in 11 innings before losing the final game 4-3.
Sophomore John Malcom continues to lead the Manatees offensively as he is batting .326 with four home runs, 22 RBI and 16 walks. In the whole series against South Florida State, Malcom finished 3-for-9 with two RBI and five walks.
Freshman Owen Ayers is batting a team-leading .347 with two home runs and 15 RBI. Ayers was 2-for-10 with two RBI against SFSC.
On the mound, sophomore Jake Smith and Cole Ayers lead the way in pitching.
Smith is currently 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA and 47 strikeouts. Smith pitched seven scoreless innings in the second game against South Florida State with a career-high 13 strikeouts for a no-decision.
Cole Ayers is 2-2 this season with a 2.28 ERA and 39 strikeouts. In the first game against SFSC, Ayers pitched a seven inning shutout with a career-high 10 strikeouts.
In the Lyons Den:
Sophomore Jamarcus Lyons showed his full power in the series against South Florida State. Lyons finished the series 4-for-14 with three home runs and eight RBI. Currently, Lyons is batting .323 with three home runs and 14 RBI.
Scouting Polk State:
The Eagles opened Suncoast play against Florida Southwestern where they dropped the series winning game two by a score of 4-3. They lost game one 9-5 and the deciding game three 2-1.
Sophomore Nick Wells is batting .277 with a home run and 15 RBI, while classmate Ty Crittenberger has two home runs and 14 RBI while batting .297.
On the mound, the freshman Andrew Long is 3-1 with a 1.27 ERA and 34 strikeouts. Sophomore Alex Goff leads the team with five saves while having a 0.71 ERA and 19 strikeouts.
Series History:
Overall, the Manatees are 29-23 against the Eagles. Last season, the Manatees claimed the series 4-2.
GameChanger Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2020/state-college-of-florida-manatees-varsity-5e26db014cf88f41b4aaf1c1
Twitter:
SCF: @SCFBaseball
Polk: @PolkStBaseball
SCF Baseball Falls in Series Finale vs SFSC
Despite winning the series, the SCF baseball team (13-11, 2-1 Suncoast) dropped the finale to South Florida State (14-11, 1-2 Suncoast) 4-3. With the loss, the Manatees are now 23-13 against the Panthers.
For the finale, head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Justin Wrobleski to the mound while South Florida State head coach Rick Hitt sent sophomore Tyler Tipton to counter.
The Manatees were off to a good start at the top of the first as sophomore Jamarcus Lyons would send a two-run blast to left for a 2-0 SCF lead. It was Lyons' third home run of the season. The Panthers would respond back and get their first run of the game after an RBI groundout by sophomore Trey Fields.
At the top of the second, the Manatees were able to extend their lead to 3-1 after an RBI double by freshman Jacob Steinberg, but soon the Panthers would come alive in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a bases clearing double by sophomore Leo Alfonzo.
The Manatees tired to find a way to tie the game, but were unable to as the Panthers took the finale.
Wrobleski would be dubbed with the loss after giving up four runs on two hits with five walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings. Wrobleski would go to 2-2 on the year.
Freshman David Barrett threw one scoreless inning with one strikeout.
Tipton would go to 2-2 after throwing a complete game, giving up three runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Steinberg would be the only Manatee with a multi-hit game as he finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.
Lyons would finish 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Lyons was the only Manatee in the game with multiple RBI. Lyons finished the series 4-for-14 with three home runs and eight RBI.
Ellington and sophomores John Malcom and Aaron McKeithan had the Manatees' final three hits.
Alfonzo and sophomore Zeddric Burnham had the teams only two hits.
Other Suncoast Scores:
FSW (15-9, 2-1 Suncoast) took the series finale against Polk State (12-11, 1-2 Suncoast) as they won 2-1 in the third game.
Hillsborough (13-12, 2-1 Suncoast) claimed the series over St. Pete (11-11, 1-2 Suncoast) winning the final game 9-3. The Hawks will be back in action against FSW, while the Titans face SFSC.
Suncoast Standings:
1. FSW (15-9, 2-1 Suncoast)
2. SCF (13-11, 2-1 Suncoast)
3. Hillsborough (13-12, 2-1 Suncoast)
4. SFSC (14-11, 1-2 Suncoast)
5. Polk State (12-11, 1-2 Suncoast)
6. St. Pete (11-11, 1-2 Suncoast)
Up Next:
The Manatees would prepare themselves for their next Suncoast series as they face Polk State starting Saturday afternoon, March 7 at 1 pm at Bing Tyus Yard in Winter Haven. The second game will be at Wynn Field Monday night, March 9 at 6 pm before the third game heads back to Bing Tyus Yard Wednesday night, March 11 at 6 pm.
For the finale, head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Justin Wrobleski to the mound while South Florida State head coach Rick Hitt sent sophomore Tyler Tipton to counter.
The Manatees were off to a good start at the top of the first as sophomore Jamarcus Lyons would send a two-run blast to left for a 2-0 SCF lead. It was Lyons' third home run of the season. The Panthers would respond back and get their first run of the game after an RBI groundout by sophomore Trey Fields.
At the top of the second, the Manatees were able to extend their lead to 3-1 after an RBI double by freshman Jacob Steinberg, but soon the Panthers would come alive in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a bases clearing double by sophomore Leo Alfonzo.
The Manatees tired to find a way to tie the game, but were unable to as the Panthers took the finale.
Wrobleski would be dubbed with the loss after giving up four runs on two hits with five walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings. Wrobleski would go to 2-2 on the year.
Freshman David Barrett threw one scoreless inning with one strikeout.
Tipton would go to 2-2 after throwing a complete game, giving up three runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Steinberg would be the only Manatee with a multi-hit game as he finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.
Lyons would finish 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Lyons was the only Manatee in the game with multiple RBI. Lyons finished the series 4-for-14 with three home runs and eight RBI.
Ellington and sophomores John Malcom and Aaron McKeithan had the Manatees' final three hits.
Alfonzo and sophomore Zeddric Burnham had the teams only two hits.
Other Suncoast Scores:
FSW (15-9, 2-1 Suncoast) took the series finale against Polk State (12-11, 1-2 Suncoast) as they won 2-1 in the third game.
Hillsborough (13-12, 2-1 Suncoast) claimed the series over St. Pete (11-11, 1-2 Suncoast) winning the final game 9-3. The Hawks will be back in action against FSW, while the Titans face SFSC.
Suncoast Standings:
1. FSW (15-9, 2-1 Suncoast)
2. SCF (13-11, 2-1 Suncoast)
3. Hillsborough (13-12, 2-1 Suncoast)
4. SFSC (14-11, 1-2 Suncoast)
5. Polk State (12-11, 1-2 Suncoast)
6. St. Pete (11-11, 1-2 Suncoast)
Up Next:
The Manatees would prepare themselves for their next Suncoast series as they face Polk State starting Saturday afternoon, March 7 at 1 pm at Bing Tyus Yard in Winter Haven. The second game will be at Wynn Field Monday night, March 9 at 6 pm before the third game heads back to Bing Tyus Yard Wednesday night, March 11 at 6 pm.
SCF Softball Rematches with Seminole State
The SCF softball team (18-10) return on the road as they travel to Sanford to take on #10 Seminole State College of Florida (22-1) at the Raider Softball Field Saturday afternoon, March 7 at noon and 2 pm.
Last Time Out:
The Manatees are coming off of wrapping up their eight-game homestead with a split against Eastern Florida State losing game one 7-4 before winning game two 11-8.
Schuerman to 200:
Head coach Mandy Schuerman remains in tact to reach 200 career wins with the Manatees as she needs only four to do so.
Schuerman joined SCF fall 2014 with her first win as head coach being on January 30, 2015 against Illinois Central (7-0). This would then follow with her 100th win being on January 27, 2018 against Lake Sumter (8-5) before claiming her 150th career win March 2, 2019 against Central Florida (6-0).
The Squad:
At the plate, six players have at least 10 RBI. Freshmen Maddie Koczersut leads the squad batting .371 with four home runs and 22 RBI, while also leading the team with 15 walks. Koczersut was 2-for-3 in the second game against EFSC with an RBI and a walk.
Another player that actually showed some power recently is classmate Emily Hughes. Despite batting .223, Hughes has three home runs and 15 RBI. Hughes was 2-for-7 against EFSC with two RBI and a walk.
As far as speed, freshmen Lilly Salazar and Lauren Lightbody lead the way. Salazar is batting .301 with five RBI, while Lightbody is batting .379 with seven RBI. Both have 11 stolen bases each.
On the mound, it's the trio of sophomore Ashlee Zientek and Madi LoCastro and freshman Ally Hulme that take the path.
Zientek is currently 4-3 with a 2.61 ERA, two saves and 51 strikeouts, while at the plate she is batting .366 with seven RBI. In her last appearance, Zientek pitched a complete game against EFSC, giving up eight runs striking out eight, while going 1-for-8 with a run scored.
Predominately as a hybrid player, LoCastro is currently 4-2 with a 2.71 ERA and 31 strikeouts while batting .222 with a home run and 12 RBI. LoCastro pitched in game one against EFSC where she had a no-decision after throwing six innings with two strikeouts.
Hulme is 6-3 with a 3.30 ERA and 36 strikeouts despite getting her third loss against EFSC after throwing four innings of relief with three strikeouts.
Freshman Samantha Hampton and Kristin Kopp have also made their way around joining LoCastro as a couple of hybrid players.
Hampton is currently 3-2 on the mound with a 5.25 ERA and 13 strikeouts, but is batting .231 with 10 RBI. Hampton was 1-for-2 with two RBI against EFSC. In her last appearance on the mound against Kalamazoo Valley, Hampton gave up two runs and struck out three batters in 3.2 innings.
Kopp is batting .262 with a home run and 15 RBI. She has made one appearance on the mound against Oakland where she threw two innings and struck out three batters for her first win.
Starsky and Hutch:
Freshman Lauren Hutcherson had one of her best series games this season as she went a combined 5-for-7 with a home run and seven RBI against Eastern Florida. Currently, Hutcherson is batting .417 with a home run and 17 RBI. In fact, the home run in the first game against Eastern Florida was her first collegiate home run of the season.
Scouting Seminole State:
The Raiders, who are ranked #10 in the nation, are coming off of a sweep over Polk State winning by scores of 12-4 and 11-0 (5).
Freshman Logan Keith leads the team overall offensively batting .472 with 34 hits, three home runs, 21 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Classmate Liz Cutlip is batting .478 with 32 hits, a home run and a team-leading 28 RBI.
Sophomores Marissa Adame and Samantha Guider lead the way for the Raiders on the mound. Adame is 9-0 with a 1.32 ERA, two saves and 42 strikeouts, while Guider is 5-1 with 1.78 ERA and 46 strikeouts. Guider has the Raiders only loss so far this season.
Series History:
The Manatees played the Raiders on day two of the JUCO Kickoff Showcase (2/1) losing by a score of 7-1. Overall the Manatees are 7-13 against the Raiders with their last win being on Feb 3, 2018 where they won 4-2 as part of the split.
Livestats Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2020/state-college-of-florida-manatees-softball-5e19088f09b01f1f2300011a
Twitter:
SCF: @SCFSoftball
Seminole: @SeminoleStateSB
Last Time Out:
The Manatees are coming off of wrapping up their eight-game homestead with a split against Eastern Florida State losing game one 7-4 before winning game two 11-8.
Schuerman to 200:
Head coach Mandy Schuerman remains in tact to reach 200 career wins with the Manatees as she needs only four to do so.
Schuerman joined SCF fall 2014 with her first win as head coach being on January 30, 2015 against Illinois Central (7-0). This would then follow with her 100th win being on January 27, 2018 against Lake Sumter (8-5) before claiming her 150th career win March 2, 2019 against Central Florida (6-0).
The Squad:
At the plate, six players have at least 10 RBI. Freshmen Maddie Koczersut leads the squad batting .371 with four home runs and 22 RBI, while also leading the team with 15 walks. Koczersut was 2-for-3 in the second game against EFSC with an RBI and a walk.
Another player that actually showed some power recently is classmate Emily Hughes. Despite batting .223, Hughes has three home runs and 15 RBI. Hughes was 2-for-7 against EFSC with two RBI and a walk.
As far as speed, freshmen Lilly Salazar and Lauren Lightbody lead the way. Salazar is batting .301 with five RBI, while Lightbody is batting .379 with seven RBI. Both have 11 stolen bases each.
On the mound, it's the trio of sophomore Ashlee Zientek and Madi LoCastro and freshman Ally Hulme that take the path.
Zientek is currently 4-3 with a 2.61 ERA, two saves and 51 strikeouts, while at the plate she is batting .366 with seven RBI. In her last appearance, Zientek pitched a complete game against EFSC, giving up eight runs striking out eight, while going 1-for-8 with a run scored.
Predominately as a hybrid player, LoCastro is currently 4-2 with a 2.71 ERA and 31 strikeouts while batting .222 with a home run and 12 RBI. LoCastro pitched in game one against EFSC where she had a no-decision after throwing six innings with two strikeouts.
Hulme is 6-3 with a 3.30 ERA and 36 strikeouts despite getting her third loss against EFSC after throwing four innings of relief with three strikeouts.
Freshman Samantha Hampton and Kristin Kopp have also made their way around joining LoCastro as a couple of hybrid players.
Hampton is currently 3-2 on the mound with a 5.25 ERA and 13 strikeouts, but is batting .231 with 10 RBI. Hampton was 1-for-2 with two RBI against EFSC. In her last appearance on the mound against Kalamazoo Valley, Hampton gave up two runs and struck out three batters in 3.2 innings.
Kopp is batting .262 with a home run and 15 RBI. She has made one appearance on the mound against Oakland where she threw two innings and struck out three batters for her first win.
Starsky and Hutch:
Freshman Lauren Hutcherson had one of her best series games this season as she went a combined 5-for-7 with a home run and seven RBI against Eastern Florida. Currently, Hutcherson is batting .417 with a home run and 17 RBI. In fact, the home run in the first game against Eastern Florida was her first collegiate home run of the season.
Scouting Seminole State:
The Raiders, who are ranked #10 in the nation, are coming off of a sweep over Polk State winning by scores of 12-4 and 11-0 (5).
Freshman Logan Keith leads the team overall offensively batting .472 with 34 hits, three home runs, 21 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Classmate Liz Cutlip is batting .478 with 32 hits, a home run and a team-leading 28 RBI.
Sophomores Marissa Adame and Samantha Guider lead the way for the Raiders on the mound. Adame is 9-0 with a 1.32 ERA, two saves and 42 strikeouts, while Guider is 5-1 with 1.78 ERA and 46 strikeouts. Guider has the Raiders only loss so far this season.
Series History:
The Manatees played the Raiders on day two of the JUCO Kickoff Showcase (2/1) losing by a score of 7-1. Overall the Manatees are 7-13 against the Raiders with their last win being on Feb 3, 2018 where they won 4-2 as part of the split.
Livestats Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2020/state-college-of-florida-manatees-softball-5e19088f09b01f1f2300011a
Twitter:
SCF: @SCFSoftball
Seminole: @SeminoleStateSB
SCF Baseball Claims Series Over South Florida State
The SCF baseball team (13-10, 2-0 Suncoast) claimed the first series of Suncoast Conference play as they defeated South Florida State (13-11, 0-2 Suncoast) 2-1 in 11 innings at Wynn Field. With the win, the Manatees are now 23-12 against the Panthers.
For the game, head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Jake Smith to the mound, while South Florida State head coach Rick Hitt sent sophomore Connor Gleeson to counter.
For the first four innings, it was a pitchers duel between Smith and Gleeson as both pitchers led a combined 15 strikeouts (Smith: 10, Gleeson: 5) until the fifth inning when Smith got two more 'Ks' before Gleeson buckled to give the Manatees the lead after an RBI single by sophomore Aaron McKeithan brought in classmate Rook Ellington. This would signal the end for Gleeson as Hitt would then send in freshman Blayne Huter to finish the fifth.
For the next two innings, the Manatees held on to a 1-0 lead with Smith finishing the seventh inning with a final strikeout before Hill called in sophomore Jakob Mattos to come in relief at the top of the eighth, but would give up the tying run after sophomore Zeddric Burnham scored on fielding error. The game would then go into extra innings after.
After sophomore Toni Rossi threw a scoreless top half of the 11th, the Manatees would go for the win in walk-off fashion in the bottom half as sophomore John Malcom would bring in Ellington after scoring on a fielding error to win the game.
Smith would be left with a no-decision after throwing seven scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out 13 batters, while Mattos gave up one unearned run in two hitless innings with two walks and a strikeout.
Rossi was credited with the win after two scoreless innings, giving up one hit with three walks and five strikeouts. Rossi is now 2-0 on the year.
Gleeson would earn a no-decision for the Panthers after giving up one run on three hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
Sophomore Jack Keeler would be dubbed with the loss after giving up one unearned run on one hit with one walk and one strikeout in one and a third inning. Keeler is now 0-2 on the year.
Ellington, Malcom, McKeithan and freshmen Cameron Lee, Owen Ayers and Richard Rodriguez and sophomore Remi Patry each had a hit for the Manatees.
Sophomore Casey Asman had the Panthers lone multi-hit game as he went 3-for-3 with two walks. Classmate Shane Magrann had the Panthers' fourth hit as he went 1-for-4.
Up Next:
The Manatees look to sweep the first series as they return to Panther Field in Avon Park Friday night, March 7 at 6 pm.
For the game, head coach Tim Hill II sent sophomore Jake Smith to the mound, while South Florida State head coach Rick Hitt sent sophomore Connor Gleeson to counter.
For the first four innings, it was a pitchers duel between Smith and Gleeson as both pitchers led a combined 15 strikeouts (Smith: 10, Gleeson: 5) until the fifth inning when Smith got two more 'Ks' before Gleeson buckled to give the Manatees the lead after an RBI single by sophomore Aaron McKeithan brought in classmate Rook Ellington. This would signal the end for Gleeson as Hitt would then send in freshman Blayne Huter to finish the fifth.
For the next two innings, the Manatees held on to a 1-0 lead with Smith finishing the seventh inning with a final strikeout before Hill called in sophomore Jakob Mattos to come in relief at the top of the eighth, but would give up the tying run after sophomore Zeddric Burnham scored on fielding error. The game would then go into extra innings after.
After sophomore Toni Rossi threw a scoreless top half of the 11th, the Manatees would go for the win in walk-off fashion in the bottom half as sophomore John Malcom would bring in Ellington after scoring on a fielding error to win the game.
Smith would be left with a no-decision after throwing seven scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out 13 batters, while Mattos gave up one unearned run in two hitless innings with two walks and a strikeout.
Rossi was credited with the win after two scoreless innings, giving up one hit with three walks and five strikeouts. Rossi is now 2-0 on the year.
Gleeson would earn a no-decision for the Panthers after giving up one run on three hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
Sophomore Jack Keeler would be dubbed with the loss after giving up one unearned run on one hit with one walk and one strikeout in one and a third inning. Keeler is now 0-2 on the year.
Ellington, Malcom, McKeithan and freshmen Cameron Lee, Owen Ayers and Richard Rodriguez and sophomore Remi Patry each had a hit for the Manatees.
Sophomore Casey Asman had the Panthers lone multi-hit game as he went 3-for-3 with two walks. Classmate Shane Magrann had the Panthers' fourth hit as he went 1-for-4.
Up Next:
The Manatees look to sweep the first series as they return to Panther Field in Avon Park Friday night, March 7 at 6 pm.
Hutcherson's Seven RBI Help SCF SB Split With EFSC
The SCF softball team (18-10) wrapped up their eight-game homestead at the SCF Softball Complex as they split with Eastern Florida State (12-9, 4-1 Southern) losing game one 7-4 in 10 innings before winning game two 11-8. With the split, the Manatees are now 9-3 against the Titans (2012-present).
Game One:
For game one, head coach Mandy Schuerman sent sophomore Madi LoCastro to the mound, while EFSC head coach Jim Beitia sent sophomore Katelyn Wilfert to counter.
The Manatees would get on the board first in the bottom of the first after an RBI single by freshman Lauren Hutcherson to bring in classmate Lauren Lightbody.
At the top of the third, the Titans would respond back with a solo home run off the bat of freshman Gabriela Garcia. It was Garcia's third home run of the season.
With the score still tied 1-1, it was a really a pitcher's dual between LoCastro and Wilfert until the top of the fifth when Garcia hit her fourth home run of the season (second of the game) to give the Titans a 2-1 lead, but the Manatees would answer back in the bottom of the sixth after Hutcherson hit her first collegiate home run of the season to tie the game at 2-2.
At the top of the seventh, freshman Ally Hulme would come in for relief for LoCastro and was able to get out of the inning with three straight outs. After both teams failed to score in the seventh, the game would go to extra innings.
At the top of the ninth, with the international rule in effect, the Titans would take the lead after sophomore Jaidyn Ahl reached base on a fielding error to bring in sophomore Meritxell Blesa to make it 3-2 EFSC, but the Manatees would respond back in the bottom half after freshman Emily Hughes brought in classmate Lilly Salazar, who was placed on second, to tie the game at 3-3.
The Titans would get a big response from Wilfert at the top of the 10th as she hit a two-run blast to left for her sixth home run of the season before Ahl hit a two-RBI double to make it 7-3 EFSC. The Manatees would add one final run after sophomore Makayla Benavidez brought in freshman Kristin Kopp with an RBI groundout, but it was that could be produced as the Titans took the first game.
Wilfert would earn her eighth win of the season after throwing a 10th inning complete game, giving up four runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, while going 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. Wilfert is now 8-5 on the year.
LoCastro would earn a no-decision after giving up two runs on nine hits with one walk and two strikeouts in six innings.
Hulme would be dubbed with the loss after giving up five runs on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts in four innings of relief. Hulme is now 6-3 on the season.
Hutcherson would be the only Manatee with a multi-hit and multi-RBI game as she went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a walk. Hughes and sophomore Madelyn Graham would have the teams other two hits. Hughes was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base.
Garcia was 2-for-5 with two home runs, two RBI and runs for the Titans, while Ahl lead the team in hitting going 3-for-5 with two RBI.
Game Two:
Looking to bounce back from the loss, Schuerman sent sophomore Ashlee Zientek to pitch game two, while Beitia sent sophomore McKinleigh Millard.
It would be the Titans that would score first in the first inning after an RBI double by sophomore Victoria Perez and an RBI single by sophomore Sarah Goldsmith for a 2-0 EFSC lead, but the Manatees decided to put a big offensive rally together in the bottom half. After freshman Maddie Koczersut began the inning with a leadoff single, classmate Lilly Salazar would reach base on a fielding error before Lightbody loaded the bases with a single. This would be a big turning point for Hutcherson as the Lake City native would send a single to center and bring in Koczersut and Salazar to tie the game at 2-2.
With runners in scoring position, freshman Samantha Hampton would give the Manatees a 4-3 lead with a single to center to bring in Lightbody and Hutcherson. After Kopp drew a walk, Graham laid down a sacrifice bunt and Zientek struck out, Hughes would hit a hard ball and reach base on an error while Hampton scored. The Manatees would bat around as Koczersut would send a single to left to bring in Kopp before Hughes scored after Salazar reached base on an error for a 7-2 SCF lead.
After the Titans scored at the top of the second after an RBI double by sophomore Sarah Thomas, the bats went quiet in the third before the Titans responded again with two runs after Blesa scored on a fielding error and Garcia laid out a sacrifice fly to make it 7-5 SCF.
The Manatees would respond back in the bottom of the fifth that started with a leadoff single by Graham before stealing second base. After Zientek flew out, Hughes would send a single to center and bring in Graham for a 8-5 SCF lead. After Koczersut and Salazar drew walks to load the bases, the show became all about Hutcherson as she cleared the bases with a double for a 11-5 SCF.
The Titans would add three final runs after a bases loaded walk by sophomore Madison Neuhaus and Perez reach base on a fielding error to bring in Thomas and Garcia, but the Manatees would able to pull themselves together and claim game two.
Zientek would earn the win after throwing a complete game, giving up eight runs (three earned) on nine hits with four walks and a tied career-high eight strikeouts while going 1-for-4 at the plate. Zientek is now 4-3 on the year.
Millard would be dubbed with the loss after a six inning complete game, giving up all 11 runs (seven earned) on 10 hits with six walks and a strikeout. Millard is now 4-2 on the year.
Hutcherson was the hero of game two and the overall series as she finished game two 3-for-4 with five RBI. In the series, Hutcherson finished 5-for-7 with a home run, one walk and seven RBI.
Koczersut was 2-for-3 with an RBI, two runs, a walk and a stolen base, while Hampton was 1-for-2 with two RBI and two walks.
Lightbody (1-for-3, two runs and one walk), Graham (1-for-2, one run, one walk and a stolen base) and Hughes (1-for-4, one RBI, two runs and a stolen base) had the teams final three hits.
Thomas would lead the Titans going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs. She was the only Titan in game two with a multi-hit game.
Notes:
The second win against EFSC was Schuerman's 196th career win with the Manatees and needs four to reach 200 career wins.
Up Next:
The Manatees go back on the road for a brief moment as they travel to Sanford to take on #10 Seminole State College (22-1) in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, March 7 at noon and 2 pm.
Game One:
For game one, head coach Mandy Schuerman sent sophomore Madi LoCastro to the mound, while EFSC head coach Jim Beitia sent sophomore Katelyn Wilfert to counter.
The Manatees would get on the board first in the bottom of the first after an RBI single by freshman Lauren Hutcherson to bring in classmate Lauren Lightbody.
At the top of the third, the Titans would respond back with a solo home run off the bat of freshman Gabriela Garcia. It was Garcia's third home run of the season.
With the score still tied 1-1, it was a really a pitcher's dual between LoCastro and Wilfert until the top of the fifth when Garcia hit her fourth home run of the season (second of the game) to give the Titans a 2-1 lead, but the Manatees would answer back in the bottom of the sixth after Hutcherson hit her first collegiate home run of the season to tie the game at 2-2.
At the top of the seventh, freshman Ally Hulme would come in for relief for LoCastro and was able to get out of the inning with three straight outs. After both teams failed to score in the seventh, the game would go to extra innings.
At the top of the ninth, with the international rule in effect, the Titans would take the lead after sophomore Jaidyn Ahl reached base on a fielding error to bring in sophomore Meritxell Blesa to make it 3-2 EFSC, but the Manatees would respond back in the bottom half after freshman Emily Hughes brought in classmate Lilly Salazar, who was placed on second, to tie the game at 3-3.
The Titans would get a big response from Wilfert at the top of the 10th as she hit a two-run blast to left for her sixth home run of the season before Ahl hit a two-RBI double to make it 7-3 EFSC. The Manatees would add one final run after sophomore Makayla Benavidez brought in freshman Kristin Kopp with an RBI groundout, but it was that could be produced as the Titans took the first game.
Wilfert would earn her eighth win of the season after throwing a 10th inning complete game, giving up four runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, while going 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. Wilfert is now 8-5 on the year.
LoCastro would earn a no-decision after giving up two runs on nine hits with one walk and two strikeouts in six innings.
Hulme would be dubbed with the loss after giving up five runs on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts in four innings of relief. Hulme is now 6-3 on the season.
Hutcherson would be the only Manatee with a multi-hit and multi-RBI game as she went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a walk. Hughes and sophomore Madelyn Graham would have the teams other two hits. Hughes was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base.
Garcia was 2-for-5 with two home runs, two RBI and runs for the Titans, while Ahl lead the team in hitting going 3-for-5 with two RBI.
Game Two:
Looking to bounce back from the loss, Schuerman sent sophomore Ashlee Zientek to pitch game two, while Beitia sent sophomore McKinleigh Millard.
It would be the Titans that would score first in the first inning after an RBI double by sophomore Victoria Perez and an RBI single by sophomore Sarah Goldsmith for a 2-0 EFSC lead, but the Manatees decided to put a big offensive rally together in the bottom half. After freshman Maddie Koczersut began the inning with a leadoff single, classmate Lilly Salazar would reach base on a fielding error before Lightbody loaded the bases with a single. This would be a big turning point for Hutcherson as the Lake City native would send a single to center and bring in Koczersut and Salazar to tie the game at 2-2.
With runners in scoring position, freshman Samantha Hampton would give the Manatees a 4-3 lead with a single to center to bring in Lightbody and Hutcherson. After Kopp drew a walk, Graham laid down a sacrifice bunt and Zientek struck out, Hughes would hit a hard ball and reach base on an error while Hampton scored. The Manatees would bat around as Koczersut would send a single to left to bring in Kopp before Hughes scored after Salazar reached base on an error for a 7-2 SCF lead.
After the Titans scored at the top of the second after an RBI double by sophomore Sarah Thomas, the bats went quiet in the third before the Titans responded again with two runs after Blesa scored on a fielding error and Garcia laid out a sacrifice fly to make it 7-5 SCF.
The Manatees would respond back in the bottom of the fifth that started with a leadoff single by Graham before stealing second base. After Zientek flew out, Hughes would send a single to center and bring in Graham for a 8-5 SCF lead. After Koczersut and Salazar drew walks to load the bases, the show became all about Hutcherson as she cleared the bases with a double for a 11-5 SCF.
The Titans would add three final runs after a bases loaded walk by sophomore Madison Neuhaus and Perez reach base on a fielding error to bring in Thomas and Garcia, but the Manatees would able to pull themselves together and claim game two.
Zientek would earn the win after throwing a complete game, giving up eight runs (three earned) on nine hits with four walks and a tied career-high eight strikeouts while going 1-for-4 at the plate. Zientek is now 4-3 on the year.
Millard would be dubbed with the loss after a six inning complete game, giving up all 11 runs (seven earned) on 10 hits with six walks and a strikeout. Millard is now 4-2 on the year.
Hutcherson was the hero of game two and the overall series as she finished game two 3-for-4 with five RBI. In the series, Hutcherson finished 5-for-7 with a home run, one walk and seven RBI.
Koczersut was 2-for-3 with an RBI, two runs, a walk and a stolen base, while Hampton was 1-for-2 with two RBI and two walks.
Lightbody (1-for-3, two runs and one walk), Graham (1-for-2, one run, one walk and a stolen base) and Hughes (1-for-4, one RBI, two runs and a stolen base) had the teams final three hits.
Thomas would lead the Titans going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs. She was the only Titan in game two with a multi-hit game.
Notes:
The second win against EFSC was Schuerman's 196th career win with the Manatees and needs four to reach 200 career wins.
Up Next:
The Manatees go back on the road for a brief moment as they travel to Sanford to take on #10 Seminole State College (22-1) in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, March 7 at noon and 2 pm.
FGCU Baseball vs #22 Pepperdine Recap
The FGCU baseball team (5-7) handed No. 22 Pepperdine (10-2) its second loss of the season, as they defeated the visiting Waves by a score of 6-5 on Tuesday night at Swanson Stadium. The win is the Eagles' first over a ranked opponent since they downed No. 5 Florida 7-2 in Gainesville last season.
"This is a good club, which is what I've been saying the whole time," head coach Dave Tollett said. "We haven't pressed the panic button. We've had years that things have started off slowly. But we were ready to play tonight. Swanson Stadium is a special place and our players know that. This was a big win for us and we're really excited to see where we can go from here."
Though Pepperdine led through the opening innings, it was freshman Kyle Machado's first career homer that handed the home team its first lead in the bottom of the fifth. That shot, coupled with another run from senior Cameron Krzeminski, boosted FGCU to its victory.
Both teams got on the board in the opening frame. The Waves were the first to do so in their half, pushing a run across on a sac fly. In the bottom of the inning, the Eagles loaded up the bases and scored when Machado was hit by a pitch, bringing in junior Brian Ellis to knot things up at 1-1.
In the next inning, the Waves regained their lead after an Eagle miscue allowed a run to come in and put the team back up 2-1. FGCU later managed to load up the bases in an attempt to respond, but the Waves yanked their starter and the new arm was able to close out the frame, stranding all three runners.
An RBI single and an RBI double added to the visiting team's lead in the fourth. With one away and runners on second and third, the Eagles pulled junior starter Gus Carter in favor of senior Hunter McGarry. The reliever killed the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
Once again the Eagles were able to respond in their half of the inning, as they put up a three-spot to tie things back up. Ellis kicked off the scoring by sending junior Brandon Dorsey in with an outfield single. Seniors Alex Brait and Richie Garcia also tallied RBI, as they plated senior Elijah Eusebio and Ellis to finish out the spree.
Following a one-two-three inning against McGarry, Machado handed the Eagles the lead when he crushed his home run over the wall in left center in the bottom of the fifth.
After a few quiet innings, the Waves got things going in the top of the seventh and loaded up the bases. With just one out on the board, the Eagles were forced into their bullpen, optioning for senior Sebastian Gruszecki. McGarry finished his three-frame outing lined up for the win as he allowed one hit and fanned three during his stay on the mound. Upon entering the game, Gruszecki took a Wave down swinging and forced a groundout to prevent the visiting team from pushing any of its runners across.
The Eagles carried that momentum into the bottom of the inning, where they added another run to their lead. Krzeminski led things off with an infield single and, after stealing a bag, came around to score when Dorsey knocked one up the middle.
Pepperdine took another crack at the home team's lead in the eighth and managed to load up the bases once again. Despite the scoring opportunity, the Waves were only able to bring in one run as Gruszecki and the Eagles battled back to minimize the damage and hold on to their lead. Pepperdine's only other loss this season was an 8-2 decision at the hands of No. 6 UCLA.
McGarry earned his second win of the season, improving to 2-1 overall. Gruszecki was awarded the save, marking his second of 2020 and the fourth of his career. With the victory, the Eagles improve to 22-50-1 over ranked opponents all-time, which includes a 6-16-1 mark at Swanson Stadium.
"This is a good club, which is what I've been saying the whole time," head coach Dave Tollett said. "We haven't pressed the panic button. We've had years that things have started off slowly. But we were ready to play tonight. Swanson Stadium is a special place and our players know that. This was a big win for us and we're really excited to see where we can go from here."
Though Pepperdine led through the opening innings, it was freshman Kyle Machado's first career homer that handed the home team its first lead in the bottom of the fifth. That shot, coupled with another run from senior Cameron Krzeminski, boosted FGCU to its victory.
Both teams got on the board in the opening frame. The Waves were the first to do so in their half, pushing a run across on a sac fly. In the bottom of the inning, the Eagles loaded up the bases and scored when Machado was hit by a pitch, bringing in junior Brian Ellis to knot things up at 1-1.
In the next inning, the Waves regained their lead after an Eagle miscue allowed a run to come in and put the team back up 2-1. FGCU later managed to load up the bases in an attempt to respond, but the Waves yanked their starter and the new arm was able to close out the frame, stranding all three runners.
An RBI single and an RBI double added to the visiting team's lead in the fourth. With one away and runners on second and third, the Eagles pulled junior starter Gus Carter in favor of senior Hunter McGarry. The reliever killed the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
Once again the Eagles were able to respond in their half of the inning, as they put up a three-spot to tie things back up. Ellis kicked off the scoring by sending junior Brandon Dorsey in with an outfield single. Seniors Alex Brait and Richie Garcia also tallied RBI, as they plated senior Elijah Eusebio and Ellis to finish out the spree.
Following a one-two-three inning against McGarry, Machado handed the Eagles the lead when he crushed his home run over the wall in left center in the bottom of the fifth.
After a few quiet innings, the Waves got things going in the top of the seventh and loaded up the bases. With just one out on the board, the Eagles were forced into their bullpen, optioning for senior Sebastian Gruszecki. McGarry finished his three-frame outing lined up for the win as he allowed one hit and fanned three during his stay on the mound. Upon entering the game, Gruszecki took a Wave down swinging and forced a groundout to prevent the visiting team from pushing any of its runners across.
The Eagles carried that momentum into the bottom of the inning, where they added another run to their lead. Krzeminski led things off with an infield single and, after stealing a bag, came around to score when Dorsey knocked one up the middle.
Pepperdine took another crack at the home team's lead in the eighth and managed to load up the bases once again. Despite the scoring opportunity, the Waves were only able to bring in one run as Gruszecki and the Eagles battled back to minimize the damage and hold on to their lead. Pepperdine's only other loss this season was an 8-2 decision at the hands of No. 6 UCLA.
McGarry earned his second win of the season, improving to 2-1 overall. Gruszecki was awarded the save, marking his second of 2020 and the fourth of his career. With the victory, the Eagles improve to 22-50-1 over ranked opponents all-time, which includes a 6-16-1 mark at Swanson Stadium.
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