SCF SB Finalizes Series Over PBSC

The SCF softball team (12-8) claimed their final series with Palm Beach State (2-18) on the road as they swept both games winning 3-0 in the first game and 9-6 in the second. With the final sweep, the Manatees are now 22-1 against the Panthers.

Game One:
For game one, head coach Mandy Schuerman sent sophomore Madi LoCastro to the mound, while PBSC head coach Heather Horning sent freshman Haley Kadur to counter.

After going scoreless the first two innings, the Manatees would get on the board first at the top of the third after a two-out RBI single by freshman Maddie Koczersut brought in classmate Emily Hughes for a 1-0 SCF lead.

Meanwhile, LoCastro continued to fight and keep the Panthers from getting any form of offense with the exception of the bottom of the second and sixth inning being her toughest innings.

At the top of the seventh, the Manatees decided to add some insurance to their score beginning with a leadoff single by freshman Samantha Hampton. Two at-bats later, freshman Lilly Salazar would hit a single of her own before Koczersut would send a double to center and send Hampton and Salazar home for a 3-0 SCF lead before LoCastro closed the door for the win.

LoCastro would earn her second win of the season after the two-hit shutout while walking two batters and striking out three. LoCastro is now 2-2 on the season.

Kadur would be dubbed with eighth loss of the season after giving up all three runs on nine hits with three walks and two strikeouts and going 1-for-3 at the plate.

Salazar led the Manatees in hitting as she went 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Koczersut was 2-for-4 with all three RBI.

Hughes, Hampton and freshman Lauren Lightbody had the teams other lone hits.

Aside from Kadur's hit, freshman Shelby Williams had the Panther's other hit.

Game Two:
For game two, Schuerman sent freshman Ally Hulme to the mound while Horning sent redshirt freshman Emily Sheppard to counter.

Shockingly, the Panthers would take a four-run lead after an RBI single by freshman Kiersten Adams and a base clearing double by sophomore Destiny Cornelius.

After being unable to answer in the second inning, the third inning proved to be the calling card for the Manatees. After Hughes and LoCastro were both hit by pitch back-to-back, Hughes stole third before Horning decided to pull Sheppard and send Kadur to the mound to pitch. Freshman Madi Schaefer would then send Hughes home on a groundout. After Lightbody and Salazar hit back-to-back singles to load the bases, Koczersut would get hit by a pitch and send LoCastro home.

Sophomore Madelyn Graham would then draw a base-loaded walk to send Lightbody home to make it 4-3 still in favor of PBSC before freshman Lauren Hutcherson tied the game at 4-4 with a sacrifice fly to send Salazar home. Sophomore Ashlee Zientek would then send Graham home with a single to center to give the Manatees a 5-4 lead before ending the top half.

At the top of the fifth, the Manatees would add some insurance runs to their score beginning with back-to-back one-out singles by Lightbody and Salazar before Lightbody scored on a fielding error. Koczersut would then hit a single to center and send Salazar home for a 7-4 SCF lead.

At the top of the fifth, the Manatees would add two final runs to their score starting with leadoff double off the bat of Zientek. After Hughes laid a sacrifice bunt to send Zientek to third, LoCastro would send Zientek home with an RBI double before Lightbody sent LoCastro home with a single to center for a 9-4 SCF lead.

The Panthers would try to answer back with two-RBI double by freshman Gabby Renner, but Zientek, who came in relief for Hulme, would close the door for the final three innings for another SCF win.

Hulme would be credited with her fifth win of the season after giving up six runs (five earned) on five hits, walking five batters and striking out six in four innings. Hulme is now 5-2 on the year.

Zientek threw three scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit, walking three batters and striking out one, while going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Sheppard would be credited with a no-decision after giving up two runs in two hitless innings. Kadur was dubbed with the loss after giving up three runs on three hits with one walk in two-thirds of an inning. Kadur is now 1-9 on the season. Freshman Emily Smith gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 4.1 innings.

Lightbody and Salazar were each 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Lightbody added an RBI. Salazar finished the 6-for-8 with three runs scored and a stolen base, while Lightbody finished 4-for-7 with an RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base.

Koczersut finished 1-for-3 with two RBI in game two and 3-for-7 with five RBI in the series.

LoCastro finished 1-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Adams would be the only Panther with a multi-hit game as she was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Cornelius and Renner each had one hit and a multi-RBI game (Cornelius: three RBI; Renner: two RBI).

Notes:
Wins 11 and 12 were Schuerman's 188th and 189th career wins and needs 11 wins to reach 200 career wins as head coach for the Manatees.

This is officially the last time that SCF will play Palm Beach in a series as the Panthers are ending their softball program and replacing it with women's soccer following the 2020-21 school year.

Up Next:
The Manatees will have a eight-game homestead at the SCF Softball Complex as they open it with a doubleheader against Lake Sumter (13-9) Thursday night, February 27 at 5 and 7 pm

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