SCF Baseball Takes First Game vs Polk State in Second Series

Bradenton, Fla - Freshman Tayden Hall lead the offensive game as the SCF baseball team (21-17, 6-7 Suncoast) were able to plot some revenge at Wynn Field as they defeated Polk State (23-14, 10-6 Suncoast) 7-2 to open the second half of Suncoast Conference play. Game two will take place in Winter Haven at Bing Tyus Yard Friday night, April 1 at 5 pm. Freshman Mike Murphy will start the game.

"The guys played really well tonight," said head coach Tim Hill II. "I thought we played very good on the defensive side and on the mound. Jake Jackson did a good job for the first two innings and Ryan (Stefiuk) came in and was in control the whole game. Tayden's (Hall) two homers and Brandon's (Fields) solo homer played a good role in the game and Kyle Harbison's RBI single was a difference maker."

"Winning against Polk State to start the series on our home turf was a major statement moment for the program this year," said Hall. "We just set the tone for the rest of the series and are looking to come out on top again Friday. The team all around did outstanding. From defense to offense, all cylinders were moving and everyone could truly see that. Our pitching staff these past four games have been amazing and have really flipped the switch to helping us win the ball games that we needed to win."

Hill sent sophomore Jake Jackson to the mound while Polk State head coach Al Corbiel sent sophomore Skylar Gonzalez to counter.

It didn't take long for the Eagles to open the offensive doors as freshman Nelson Taylor would hit a sacrifice fly for the first run of the game.

After going scoreless in the first inning, the Manatees would tie the game at 1-1 in bottom of the second as sophomore Brandon Fields would hit a sacrifice fly to bring in classmate Owen Ayers. 

At the top of the third, Hill would pull Jackson and send freshman Ryan Stefiuk to the mound as he struck out three batters. In the bottom of the third, the Manatees would take the lead as freshman Tayden Hall would send a two-run shot to right-center for his fifth of the season to drive him and sophomore Miguel Larreal for a 3-1 SCF lead. After sophomore Kevin Karstetter drew his second walk before advancing to third off of a single by classmate Harrison Long, Ayers would bring in Karstetter while grounding into a double play for a 4-1 SCF lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, Hall didn't want his offensive onslaught to stop as he crushed a solo homer to left for his sixth of the season and his second of the game. In the bottom of the sixth, Fields then decided to show his power game as he crushed a solo shot of his own to left-center for his sixth of the season and a 6-1 SCF lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Manatees would add their final run of the game as sophomore Kyle Harbison would send a single to right to bring in Fields to make it 7-1 SCF. The Eagles would respond back at the top of the ninth as sophomore George Davis would send a solo homer to left-center for his fourth of the season. Despite putting two runners on, Stefiuk would remain calm as he was able to finish the inning for the win.

Jackson would earn a no-decision after giving up one run on two hits in two innings, while Stefiuk earned his first win of the season after throwing seven innings of relief, giving up one run on two hits with four walks and a season-high 11 strikeouts. Stefiuk is now 1-3 on the year.

Gonzalez would be credited with his second loss of the season after giving up five runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts in four innings. He is now 2-2 on the year.

Sophomore Jacob Heath gave up two runs on four hits with four strikeouts in four innings of relief.

Three Manatees had two hits a piece. Hall lead the way offensively as he went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI. 

"I'm glad I was able to help the team com out on top today. I went up to the plate trying to hit the ball hard and it paid off big time to help us get the result we wanted."

Fields would follow as he went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs, while Larreal rounded out the order batting 2-for-5 with a run scored.

Ayers (1-for-4, one run), Long (1-for-4), Harbison (1-for-4, one RBI) and freshman Lucas Ismali (1-for-4) had the Manatees remaining four hits.

For the Eagles, Harris, Davis and sophomore Roshean Riley had the only three hits in the game.

Notes:

This was Hall's first collegiate multi-hit game in his career.

The win was #334 for Hill. 

Other Suncoast Scores:

#9 FSW (26-12, 13-3 Suncoast) defeated St. Pete (14-20, 4-12 Suncoast) 8-5 in Fort Myers. The second game will take place in St. Pete.

Hillsborough (15-21, 5-10 Suncoast) defeated the University of Tampa JV Team (12-12, 9-4 SSC) 8-6. The Hawks will face ASA Miami (8-22) in a doubleheader Friday Afternoon, April 1.

Suncoast Standings:

1. #9 FSW (26-12, 13-3)

2. Polk (23-14, 10-6)

3. SCF (21-17, 6-7)

4. HCC (15-21, 5-10)

5. SPC (14-20, 4-12)

Wright's Walk-Off Lead SCF to Sweep vs HCC

PC by Codi Bressler

Bradenton, Fla - Freshman Gabe Wright's walk-off hit helped lead the SCF baseball team (20-17, 5-7 Suncoast) to a 8-7 win over Hillsborough (14-21, 5-10 Suncoast) and their first sweep in Suncoast Conference play.

"This game wasn't pretty, but the guys did bounce back," said head coach Tim Hill II. "We were down early and I thought they showed a lot of fight and heart out there."

"I thought HCC got on us quick, but we just bounced back and stayed resilient with good 'ABs' the rest of the game," said sophomore Nick Gotilla. "The energy was a lot better than it has been recently, so it was always good to get the win." 

"After having to make it up two times, we finally got to finish this series," said Wright. "This week starts the second half of conference games, so it felt really good to start the week off with a sweep in this series after a disappointing start to conference, so this gives us some confidence and a little boost going into the series with Polk tomorrow."

"It's always good to get a 'W', especially when it's at home," said sophomore Brandon Fields. "I was happy to see Nick Gotilla come out with nothing but strikes and dominating early all the way to the end of the game. I was happy to see we were really battle-tested, even though we have been kind of shaky throughout the season, but we are everything but battle-tested and then some, so I was happy to see Gabe Wright come in clutch at the end with the walk-off single."

Hill sent sophomore Nick Cosentino to the mound to start for the Manatees while HCC head coach Raydon Leaton sent freshman Chase Jackson to counter.

At the top of the first, the Hawks would strike early. After Consentino got the first two outs, befroe giving up a hit and a walk freshman Jayson Yaccarino would hit an RBI single before classmate Josean Sanchez hit a two-RBI double for a 3-0 lead. One inning later, they would increase it to 4-0 after an RBI single from sophomore Jacob Griffith before Consentino struck out his final batter.

In the bottom of the second, the Manatees would get on the board beginning with a lead-off triple off the bat of Fields before freshman Lucas Ismali brought him in with a sacrifice fly. After sophomore Kyle Harbison reached second on an error and advanced to third one batter later, sophomore Miguel Larreal would send Harbison home with an RBI single and cut the deficit to 4-2, still in favor of HCC.

At the top of the third, Hill had already made a pitching change as he sent sophomore Nick Gotilla to the mound. However, the Hawks would extend their lead to 5-2 thanks to a sacrifice fly, but the transfer from UCF would remain calm and get out of the inning.

In the bottom of the third, the Manatees would eventually tie the game. After back-to-back singles off the bats of sophomores Kevin Karstetter and Harrison Long, before classmate Owen Ayers reached on a fielder's choice with Long being called out at second, Karstetter would do an unthinkable moment as the upcoming Houston transfer would steal home. After Ismali drew a walk with two outs, Leaton would pull Jackson from the game and send sophomore Austin Teel to the mound for relief work.

After the pitching change, Harbison hit a single to center to bring in Ayers before sophomore Jake Jackson drew a walk and Ismali tied the game at 5-5 after scoring on a wild pitch to end the third.

The Hawks would take back the lead at the top of the fourth after an RBI single by Griffith and an RBI groundout Yaccarino made it 7-5 HCC. Despite that, Gotilla kept calm and got out of the inning.

The Manatees would cut the Hawks' lead by one as Karstetter would bring in Larreal on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the sixth. Two innings later, the Manatees would tie the game at 7-7 after an RBI groundout by Long brought in Larreal. The Manatees would try and take the lead as Ayers attempted a sacrifice fly to bring in freshman Tayden Hall, but it would not be the case as Karstetter was called out trying to advance to third.

After Gotilla got two strikeouts at the top of the ninth, the Manatees wanted to end the first series once and for all. As Fields lead the inning with a walk, he was able to take advantage of a passed ball as he was safe at second before moving to third on a throwing error from sophomore Mario Lopez.

All eyes turned towards Wright and his opportunity for a win and on a full count, the Indianapolis native would send a deep fly ball to left that hit the warning track and brought Fields in for the win and the sweep.

"I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit and drive it into play to the gaps to help my team out and knock me in," said Fields on getting on for the game-winner. "We had a passed ball get past the catcher and I was kind of jonesing* for one of those in the dirt so I can get going while I was sniffing second and third base. I got to second base and was trying to bait the catcher since he like snap-throwing the ball and he fell right into the Venus Flytrap and he ended up throwing it over the shortstop's head and I took advantage of it."

*jonesing: when someone is craving for someone or something.

"It feels great to hit the game-winner anytime," said Wright on hitting the game-winner. "What was going through my head honestly was after that I wouldn't have been able to do it if Brandon (Fields) didn't get on and it probably would be a double or triple for me. My teammates really helped me on this one even if I didn't start the game. My parents told me that no matter what I'm doing, just always stay ready because you never know when your time is going to come to do something like that in the end."

While I ended up walking, when Gabe (Wright) came up, I knew he was going to do something and get it into the outfield or get a sacrifice bunt," said Fields on Wright hitting the game-winner. "I was really happy to see Gabe battle through that whole at-bat."

"I'm really happy for Gabe," said Hill on Wright. "He was off to a slow start, but he was swinging the bat better lately and he's a nice kid. He works really hard and is a good athlete, so I'm happy for him to get the game-winning hit and he deserved it."

Both Cosentino and Chase Jackson earned no-decisions for the game. Consentino gave up four runs on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts in two innings, while Chase Jackson gave up five runs (four earned) on four hits with two walks in two innings.

Gotilla would move to 7-2 on the year after giving up three runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts in seven innings of relief.

"Coming out of the pen, I didn't have my best stuff to start," said Gotilla on his game. "They got on me pretty good with a few runs, so I dialed in and just got back to tightening up what I needed to do."

"I thought Nick Gotilla really picked it up for us in the middle innings towards the end after putting up a ton of zeros to give us a chance and I thought he was the story of the game," said Hill on Gotilla.

Sophomore Richie Cimpric would fall to 2-3 after giving up one unearned run on one hit with two walks in one inning of relief, while Teel gave up two runs on four hits with six walks and seven strikeouts in four and a third innings of relief.

Harbison was the only Manatee with a multi-hit game as he went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Larreal (1-for-3, two runs and three walks), Karstetter (1-for-3, one run, two walks and two stolen bases), Long (1-for-3), Ismali (1-for-1, two walks and one run) and Wright (1-for-1) had one hit and one RBI each.

Fields (1-for-4, two runs) and Hall (1-for-4, one walk) had the remaining hits, while Ayers (one run) and Jake Jackson (one walk) contributed in the game.

For the Hawks, Yaccarino lead the way in hits as he went 3-for-5 with two RBI, while Griffith (two RBI) and sophomore Dillon Besnier (one run) were each 2-for-5.

Sanchez lead the way in offense as he went 1-for-3 with three RBI, while sophomore Landon Morrison (1-for-5, one run) and freshman Andre Vidal (1-for-4, one run) had the remaining two hits for the Hawks.

Suncoast Standings:

1. #9 FSW (25-12, 12-3

2. Polk State (23-12, 10-5)

3. SCF (20-17, 5-7)

4. HCC (14-21, 5-10)

5. SPC (14-19, 4-11)

Up Next:

The Manatees return to action still at home as they ready for their second series with Polk State (23-12, 10-5). Sophomore Jake Jackson will be given the nod to start game one on Wednesday night, March 30 at 6 pm. Game two and three will be determined by Hill and the staff

SCF SB Sweeps Polk for First Conference Wins

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (20-16, 2-4 Suncoast were able to pull away with their first wins of Suncoast Conference play as they swept Polk State (12-16, 3-3 Suncoast) 5-2 and 4-3.

“We played well today all around,” said head coach Mandy Schuerman. “The ladies did a great job at keeping the momentum on our side. Anytime we play well and win is important. In game one, I felt we were more disciplined in our offensive approach, but in both games we had great defense and pitching performances."

The team all around played great ball today and had fun," said sophomore Mya Achenbach. "It felt good to finally win, especially when it matters. Our energy was up the whole time and we had a lot of fun."

"The team's overall performance was great," said freshman Chantel Schurr. "The energy was great and I felt like we play today we really played as a team. There's not much more that you can do then gelling together and being able to play the way we did today. It felt great to get these two wins today. It showed us we are capable of it. We just have to play together to stay on the incline."

Game One:

Schuerman sent sophomore Remi Hebert to start game one while Polk head coach Donna Byers went with freshman Kailey Guethle.

The Manatees would draw first blood in the bottom of the first for their offense beginning with a leadoff walk by freshman Liv Siebert before sophomore Gracie Mullett drove a double to center to bring in Siebert. Classmate Tori Copeland would then reach base on a fielding error while Mullett scored to make it 2-0 SCF. The Manatees would then extend their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the second after Siebert reached on a fielding error while freshman Rylee Trice scored.

The Eagles would score their first run at the top of the third from a Guethle RBI single to cut the Manatees’ lead to 3-1.

While the next three innings were scorleess, the Manatees would add their final runs of the game as Schurr, who missed the last four games due to sickness would send a two-run homer to left for her fourth of the season.

"It felt awful that I had to miss two of our conference games the day before and not being with my team," said Schurr. "Of course, any home run feels great and I was just glad that I could back my team up with more hits for us."

At the top of the seventh, the Eagles would add their final run of the game as sophomore Tre’Sor Eady hit an RBI single, but it was all they could produce as the Manatees got the win.

Hebert would earn her eighth win of the season after throwing a complete game, giving up two runs on eight hits with two walks and one strikeout. She is 8-5 on the year.

Guethle would fall to 2-2 after giving up five runs (three earned) on five hits with one walk in six innings. She was also 1-for-4 at the plate with one RBI.

Schurr would be the only Manatee with a multi-RBI game as she went 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and a stolen base. Mullett was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Copeland (1-for-3, one run and one stolen base), Achenbach (1-for-3, two stolen bases) and freshman Gabi Nicholson (1-for-3) had the remaining three hits, while Trice (one run and two stolen bases) and Siebert (one walk and one stolen base) also contributed in the game.

Freshman Jennie was the only Eagle with a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 with a run.

Game Two:

Schuerman went with sophomore Samantha Hampton to start game two, while Byars went with sophomore Stephanie Derringer to counter.

The Manatees would draw first in the bottom of the first as freshman Mikayla Desantis hit an RBI double to bring in Achenbach for a 1-0 SCF lead. At the top of the second, the Eagles decided to take matters into their own hand offensively and take a 3-1 lead after sophomore Alexis Hollinger hit an RBI single, freshman Kanitria Antenor scored on a fielding error and Guethle hitting a sacrifice fly. It signaled the end for Hampton as Schuerman would send Mullett to the mound for relief work.

In the bottom of the third, the Manatees did not give up as they went to tie the game beginning with a Trice leadoff single before moving to second on a Siebert sacrifice bunt while setting up a scoring opportunity for Achenbach. On a 2-2 count, the Pennsylvania native would send her second triple to center and bring in Trice to cut the deficit to 3-2. Mullett would then bring Achenbach home with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3.

For the next three innings, it was a pitcher's dual between Mullett and Derringer until the bottom of the seventh inning. Freshman Presley O'Kimosh would start by getting hit by a pitch before classmate Molly Starinsky came in to pinch run. After Trice bunted and reached base on a fielder's choice, Starinsky would get caught stealing while Trice stole second before moving to third on another Siebert sac bunt. All eyes turned to the US Air Force representative to bring in the game-winner. On a 1-1 count, Achenbach would send a single to center to bring in Trice for the walk-off win.

"I just wanted to have fun today and it showed today," said Achenbach on getting the game-winner.

Hampton would earn a no-decision after giving up all three runs (one earned) on two hits with one walk in one and two-thirds.

Mullett would go to 4-4 after throwing five and a third scoreless innings of relief, giving up four hits and striking out one batter. She also added one RBI to the mix

Derringer would fall to 1-3 after giving up all four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts in six and two-thirds.

Achenbach would be the only Manatee in game two with a multi-hit and multi-RBI game as she went 3-for-4 with two RBI. DeSantis had the remaining RBI as she went 1-for-3.

Nicholson (1-for-3), Trice (1-for-4, two runs and a stolen base) and O'Kimosh (1-for-1) had the remaining three hits.

Hollinger was the only Eagle with a multi-hit game for game two as she went 2-for-2 with an RBI.

Notes:

For Schuerman it was wins #233 and #234 in her career. She needs 16 to reach 250 wins in her career and six to surpass Meredith Headings (240, 2007-14) for second all-time in wins as head coach for the Manatees.

Suncoast Standings:

1. #3 FSW (29-4, 4-0)

2. SPC (25-15, 3-1)

3. Polk State (12-16, 3-3)

4. SCF (20-16, 2-4)

5. HCC (12-22, 1-5)

Up Next:

Up Next, the Manatees will be back on the road for conference play as they travel to Fort Myers Tuesday night, March 29 against #3 Florida Southwestern State (29-4, 4-0 Suncoast). Game times are at 5 and 7 pm.

Nicholson and DeSantis' Big Games Helps SCF SB Sweeps Morton

Bradenton, Fla - Freshman Gabi Nicholson's offensive game in game one and classmate Mikayla DeSantis' offensive spark in both games played big roles as the SCF softball team (18-16, 0-4 Suncoast) wrapped up their final non-conference doubleheader at home sweeping Morton College (2-6) 15-3 via mercy rule and 7-0.

"I thought we played well on all sides of the ball today," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "Morton has a good coaching staff and look forward to playing them again in the future."

"It feels great to be back like the old team we were," said Nicholson. "I think we did great today, we were never satisfied with the score and we wanted to continue scoring to the end."

Game One:

Schuerman sent sophomore Remi Hebert to the mound, while Morton head coach Aaron Moore sent freshman Kennedi Meinecke to counter.

The Manatees would draw first blood beginning with a one-out single from freshman Liv Siebert. After Siebert stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball, sophomore Gracie Mullett would bring in Siebert on a groundout. After back-to-back two-out singles by DeSantis and freshman Tori Copeland, Nicholson would ignite her power as the Tennessee native sent a three-run homer to right for her second of the season. Classmate Rylee Trice would then hit a single and steal second before sophomore Hannah Murray sent a hard single to center to bring in Trice for a 5-0 SCF lead.

In the bottom of the third, the Manatees continued their offensive onslaught. After back-to-back one out singles by Trice and Murray with Trice stealing second, sophomore Mya Achenbach would send a single of her own to bring in Trice. After Siebert hit a single to load the bases, Mullett would clear the bases as the Lakewood Ranch product hit a double to bring in Murray, Achenbach and Siebert before scoring when DeSantis reached on a fielding error before stealing second.  Copeland would then single to center to bring in DeSantis for an 11-0 SCF.

At the top of the fourth, Schuerman would pull Hebert and send freshman Samantha Carlin to the mound. Despite putting two runners on base, Carlin was able to get out of the fourth with two strikeouts.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Manatees would add their final runs of the game. After loading the bases from walks drawn by Carlin and Siebert and an Achenbach single, freshman Molly Starinsky would get hit by a pitch and bring in Carlin. Desantis would send a double to left to bring in Achenbach and Siebert before Copeland grounded out while brining in Starinsky to make it 15-0 SCF.

At the top of the fifth, the Panthers would get their first runs of the game as sophomore Jacklyn Roney would send a three-run shot to left for her first of the season, but that was all the Panthers could produce as the Manatees pulled away with the mercy rule.

Hebert would move to 7-5 after throwing three scoreless innings, giving up one hit with three strikeouts. Carlin would give up three runs on two hits with two walks and four strikeouts in two innings of relief while scoring one run and drawing one walk.

Meinecke would fall to 1-2 after giving up 11 runs (nine earned) on 15 hits with one strikeout in two and two-thirds. Freshman Heather Ward would give up four runs on two hits with two walks and one strikeout in one and a third of relief.

Eight players had at least two hits each. Siebert would lead all the Manatees in hitting as she went 3-for-3 with three runs, a walk and a stolen base.

Mullett and Nicholson would be the offensive leaders. Mullett would go 2-for-3 with four RBI and one run, while Nicholson went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Nicholson also made a big defensive play at the top of the third inning.

"I thought I did pretty solid," said Nicholson on her game. "I had a good mindset going up to the plate and behind the plate.

Copeland and DeSantis were both 2-for-4 with two RBI each. Copeland added one run, while DeSantis added a stolen base and two runs.

Achenbach (2-for-4, one RBI and two runs), Murray (2-for-3, one RBI and one run) and Trice (2-for-3, two runs and two stolen bases) had the remaining six hits, while Starinsky (one RBI and one run) also contributed in the game.

Roney had the only multi-RBI game as she finished 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, while Ward and sophomore Paulina Viveros had the remaining two hits.

Game Two:

For game two, Schuerman sent Mullett to the mound while Moore went with Ward.

After the first inning went scoreless, the Manatees would score first in the bottom of the second as Trice scored on a passed ball. In the bottom of the third, the Manatees would add on to their lead. After Achenbach lead off with a double, Siebert would hit a bunt single and bring in Achenbach before stealing second. After Mullett flew out, DeSantis would show her true power as the Riverview High product would hit her first collegiate home run of the season to left for a 4-0 SCF lead.

After a scoreless fourth, the Manatees would add their final runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth beginning with a Siebert leadoff double before Mullett would send a double of her own to bring in Sibert. DeSantis would then send a deep triple to right and bring in Mullett before Copeland hit an RBI single to make it 7-0 SCF.

In the final two innings, it was all smooth sailing for the pitchers as they finessed their way to a shutout win.

Mullett would get her third win of the season after throwing three scoreless innings, giving up one hit with three strikeouts while also going 1-for-4 with an RBI. She is now 4-4 on the year. Mullett would finish 3-for-7 with five RBI and two runs.

Sophomore Samantha Hampton would throw four scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit with one walk and one strikeout while batting 1-for-2 at the plate.

"Our pitching staff typically thrives when we pound the strike zone," said Schuerman on her pitchers. "We need to continue to make hitters hit our pitches."

Ward would fall to 1-2 after giving up seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits with one walk and two strikeouts in five innings. Meinecke would throw one scoreless inning of relief, giving up one hit and striking out one batter.

DeSantis would be the offensive leader of game two as she finished 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. In the overall series, DeSantis would finish 4-for-8 with a home run, five RBI and one stolen base.

"Mik has been a pretty consistent hitter throughout," said Schuerman on DeSantis. "She has had some sickness and injury that kept her out, but today she found her groove."

Sibert would be the overall leading hitter as she went 4-for-4 with two runs, one RBI and four stolen bases and finished 7-for-7 with five runs, one RBI and five stolen base.

Copeland (1-for-4, one RBI and one stolen base), Achenbach (1-for-4, one run), Trice (1-for-3, one run) and freshmen Presley O'Kimosh (1-for-2, one stolen base) and Renee Dixon (1-for-3) had the remaining five hits.

For the Panthers, sophomore Yellen Torrado had their only two hits as she went 2-for-2 and was the only one with a multi-hit game.

Notes:

For Schuerman, this was wins #231 and #232. She needs 18 to reach 250 wins in her career and nine to surpass Meredith Headings (240, 2007-14) for second all-time in wins as head coach for the Manatees.

Fun Fact:

The Manatees finished 10-2 against non-Florida team.

Other Suncoast Scores:

#3 FSW (29-4, 4-0 Suncoast) swept Hillsborough (12-22, 1-5 Suncoast) on the road by scores of 18-8 and 13-4.

Suncoast Standings:

1. #3 FSW (29-4, 4-0)

2. SPC (25-15, 3-1)

3. Polk State (12-14, 3-1)

4. HCC (12-22, 1-5

5. SCF (18-16, 0-4)

Up Next:

The Manatees now resume Suncoast Conference play as they welcome Polk State (12-14, 3-1) Saturday afternoon, March 26 at 1 and 3 pm.

SCF Tennis Defeat West Georgia

Murphy Reunited with Karla Mendez (left) and Camile Portlaier (right) 

Bradenton, Fla - The #6 SCF tennis team (5-2, 1-2 Region 8) were able to recover from a conference loss as they defeated the University of West Georgia (2-6, 0-4 GSC) 7-2 at the SCF Tennis Complex. The Manatees will face #2 Hillsborough (5-1, 3-0 Region 8) Friday afternoon, March 25 at noon.

"Overall, I'm extremely happy with the team's performance today," said head coach Chloe Murphy. "For the most part in the matches, the girls have shown they have done extremely well in doubles with a sweep, which really set the tone moving on into singles. The first two courts in doubles were convincing and gratifying to see the ladies working hard yesterday with an appearance by legendary tennis coach Betsy McCormack come out to do a doubles day with them and they executed what she worked with them on yesterday and it was perfect to see that. We competed hard in singles by playing smart tennis and got the win today. I'm happy we bounced back from the loss against HCC, but I'm excited to get another crack at them on Friday."

"I thought we did a pretty good job in both doubles and singles today," said sophomore Carly Gascon Martinez. "In my case, I was so focused on trying to focus on my attitude and energy while trying to cheer on my teammates and I think we all did a good job on that."

"I thought the team's performance was good and we had a lot of energy than our last matchup," said sophomore Sarah Forsyth. "We were kind of slow in our last matchup and weren't cheering each other on and bringing the energy with our attitudes, but we all came out from the start in doubles with a lot more energy and cheering for each other. If we lost a point or played a bad point, we cheer for each other and get back up, which was good and better than our previous match."

"I think we did a great job today," said sophomore Luna Mouton. "Everyone was focused and trying their best. The communication in doubles was very good."

Beginning with doubles, the duo of sophomore Lou De Freitas Bonet and freshman Saku Suzuki defeated the sophomore duo Perrine Blanchon and Elle Jones at #2 doubles by a score of 8-1. After #17 Forsyth and Mouton defeated senior Katarina Karm and junior Kennedy Lewis 8-2 at #3 doubles, Gascon Martinez and sophomore Kia Carvalho-Landell (#4 nationally) defeated grad student Camile Portalier and junior Karla Menendez 8-2 at #1 doubles for a clean sweep and a 3-0 SCF lead.

"I thought our doubles match was good," said Forsyth on the doubles match with Mouton. "Me and Luna started off good playing simple tennis and just hitting the ball across court and then being ready at the net when they came at us and anytime we lost points, it was just on our rackets that we were making stupid mistakes, but mostly we forced them to make mistakes and then hit winners. We tried to go to each other every time and like high five say 'good return or good serve', we had good communication with each other."

"Me and Kia were like trying to play simple tennis and cross court while figuring out how to finish the points or make them make a mistake on us," said Gascon Martinez on her doubles match with Carvalho-Landell. "So we tried it and it worked out pretty good."

Only needing two singles matches to for the win, freshman Jessica Bustamante would defeat Karm 6-0, 6-2 at #6 singles before Gascon Martinez (#33) defeated Portalier 6-2, 6-0 at #1 singles to claim the series.

"I was pretty nervous playing in singles," said Gascon Martinez. "It's different between doubles and singles because you have more court awareness in doubles, so I was nervous but then when I was playing, I was like 'ok, I'm not making as many mistakes' and I just kept going and just played simple tennis with my good and tried not to make more than I needed to."

"Carly did a great job today," said Murphy on Gascon Martinez. "She played smart tennis and kept her emotions in check and did what she needed to do to win."

With singles playing still continuing, Suzuki would win her match against Lewis by a score of 6-2, 6-1 at #5 singles before the Wolves took their first point as Forsyth would fall to Blanchon at #4 singles via retire. In the final two matches, De Freitas Bonet (#12) would defeat Menendez 6-2, 6-0 at #2 singles before Carvalho-Landell (#30) fell to Jones in three sets (5-7, 6-3, 10-7).

Side Note:

"Awkward" would be the best word to describe the matchup for Murphy and the returning players from last season. The reason being, primarily for Murphy, was reuniting with Portalier and Mendez as both have played under Murphy's wing before transferring to West Georgia (Portalier: 2017-19; Mendez 2019-21). Murphy said she tried not to coach on either courts one or two (Gascon Martinez vs Portalier on court one; De Freitas Bonet vs Menendez on court two) due to the fact that she coached both Portalier and Mendez.

"It's interesting having two former players come back to face us and I was trying my not to coach on courts one and two and let the girls play," said Murphy on the match with her former players. "It was difficult to go with former players and it felt awkward, but both Karla and Cami played really good matches on their courts against us and it was good to see them back."

Despite playing against them, Murphy found it amazing to reunite with them even if they were on the opposite side of the court.

"It was amazing to see them," said Murphy on reuniting with her former players. "They always hold a special place in your heart when they move on and you wish you could keep them a little longer, but they're in a great spot with a great program and I was super happy to see them and vice versa. It was a little weird on the other side of the court with them, but it was good to have them back here."

Murphy wasn't the only one that faced the awkward situation as Mouton, Gascon Martinez, Carvalho-Landell and De Freitas Bonet have faced similar challenges. Gascon Martinez faced off against Menendez in the past when she played at Easter Florida State.

"In doubles, it was awkward because I played against Karla last year and it was more recent," said Gascon Martinez on facing Menendez. "It was good because me and Kia (Carvalho-Landell) took it serious, but at the same time it didn't feel the same because it was not like competition and everything. It was good for me, but for Kia it was worse because they were teammates last year."

"I didn't even know that Cami (Portalier) played with SCF two years when I faced her in singles today," said Gascon Martinez on facing Portalier. "But it was a good match with her."

For Mouton, she stated it was not easy for her even when wanting to win the match.

"I know we have to cheer and everything, but it was quite hard because I can't cheer against someone who was on my team and is my friend," said Mouton. "So I was there with the team, but I was just really quiet."

Truthfully, I can relate to what coach Murphy, Carvalho-Landell, De Freitas Bonet, Forsyth and Mouton on being in situations when someone has friends they have known for a long time and they play against a old school they both went to. It's a very tricky situation.

Other Region 8 Scores:

#2 HCC fell to NCAA DII Nova Southeastern 8-1.

Region 8 Standings:

1. #2 HCC (5-1, 3-0)

2. #3 SPC (4-3, 1-1)

3. #6 SCF (5-2, 1-2)

4. #10 EFSC (2-3, 0-2)

Upcoming Region 8 Weekly Schedule:

3/24:

#3 SPC vs #10 EFSC @2 pm

3/25:

#10 EFSC vs Flagler @2 pm (Exhibition)

4/1:

#3 SPC vs #2 HCC @12 pm

SCF Softball Opens Suncoast Play

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF Softball team (17-11) now set their sights on the new focus of the season: Suncoast Conference play. The Manatees will travel to Fort Myers to open conference play at City of Palms Park as they face St. Pete College (22-14) at 10 am and #1 FSW (25-4) at noon. This will be a round robin style tournament for conference play

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of splitting their last non-conference doubleheader against Bryant and Stratton. They would lose game one 2-0 before winning game two 4-3. This was the second-to-last non-conference doubleheader for the Manatees. Their final non-conference doubleheader will be against Morton Community College on March 24

250 and Beyond:

Head coach Mandy Schuerman still looks on the focus of moving up in wins. Schuerman is currently has 230 wins in her name after the split with Bryant and Stratton and needs 20 to reach 250 career wins and 11 to surpass Meredith Headings (240, 2007-14) for second all-time in wins as head coach.

Suncoast Standings:

1. #1 FSW (25-4)

2. SPC (22-14)

3. SCF (16-12)

4. Polk State (9-13)

5. HCC (11-17)

Speed is the Killer:

Sophomores Mya Achenbach and Tori Copeland and freshman Liv Siebert still are the speedsters for the Manatees basepaths and batting. Achenbach is currently batting .321 with 27 hits, three home runs, 14 RBI and stolen bases, while Copeland is batting a team-leading .352 with 25 hits, two home runs, seven RBI and nine stolen bases and Siebert is batting .328 with 19 hits, nine RBI and 13 stolen bases.

Mound Life:

Sophomores Remi Hebert and Samantha Hampton remain the key players on the mound.

Hebert is currently 6-3 with a 3.56 ERA, 15 walks and 16 strikeouts while batting .186 with eight hits and two RBI. In her last appearance on the mound, the New Orleans native threw a complete game in the win over Bryant and Stratton with three strikeouts while also adding two hits at the plate.

Hampton is entering her best season since 2020. She is currently 8-5 with a 2.70 ERA, 14 walks and 48 strikeouts. In her last appearance on the mound, Hampton threw a complete game with eight strikeouts in the loss over Bryant and Stratton.

Woes of Power:

Aside from Achenbach's power, freshmen Chantel Schurr and Gabi Nicholson are able to utilize their power game despite being in a little bit of a slump. Schurr is currently batting .284 with 21 hits, three home runs and 17 RBI, while Nicholson is batting .237 with 19 hits, one home run and 17 RBI.

Wildcard Catch:

Sophomores Gracie Mullett and Hannah Murray and freshman Presley O'Kimosh are key wildcard players that have made some noise in the rotation.

Mullett is currently batting .247 with 19 hits and 12 RBI while going 3-4 on the mound with a 3.32 ERA, 14 walks and 30 strikeouts.

Murray made some noise the second game against Bryant and Stratton as she hit her first home run of the season. Currently, she is batting .188 with six hits, a home run and six RBI.

O'Kimosh is batting .219 with 14 hits, a home run and nine RBI.

Scouting SPC:

The Lady Titans enter conference play on an eight-game winning streak after sweeping Lake Region State College by a score of 10-2 in both games via mercy rule. They are currently in second place in the standings.

Sophomores Lindsey Maresca and Shelby Jones are the lead pitching duo for the Lady Titans. Maresca is currently 10-4 with a 3.56 ERA, 25 walks and 32 strikeouts, while Jones is 11-7 with a 3.13 ERA, 19 walks and 81 strikeouts. Both threw a complete game each against Lake Region State College.

At the plate, freshman Alyssa Rano leads the Lady Titans offense batting .380 with 41 hits, six home runs, 33 RBI and 20 stolen bases. Sophomore Isabella Huff follows along batting a team-leading .390 with a team-leading 43 hits, three home runs, 31 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

Scouting FSW:

The Buccaneers, who are in first place in the Suncoast and are #1 in the FCSAA and the nation, are coming off of a sweep over RV Central Florida by scores of 6-1 and 17-2 (5). They are recovering from being upset by #16 Gulf Coast State College by scores of 7-1 and 8-0.

Sophomores Taylor Jensen, Feline Poot, Sterre den Dujin and freshman Carolin Figueroa all lead with four home runs each.

On the mound, redshirt sophomore Baylee Haggard is currently 13-1 with a 1.49 ERA, 14 walks and 51 strikeouts.

Series History (2012-present):

Overall, the Manatees are 20-17 against the Titans and 1-19 against the Buccaneers. Last season, the Manatees went 1-3 against the Titans and 0-4 against the Buccaneers.

Their lone win over the Buccaneers was in 2016.

Livestats will be provided by GameChanger and will air on the FSW athletics website

Livstream Link: https://www.fswbucs.com/FSWBucsLive

GameChanger Link: https://gc.com/game-61e6f5f7c6730931dc3466bd

SCF Baseball Take Series Over HCC

Tampa, Fla - The SCF baseball team (17-14, 4-4 Suncoast) were able to take their first series in Suncoast Conference play as they defeated Hillsborough (11-17, 2-6 Suncoast) 8-3 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. With the win, the Manatees 40-22 against the Hawks.

"It was nice to win a road game and our first series of conference," said head coach Tim Hill II. "There is a long way to go with a lot of game to be played, so we need to keep playing the way we did today."

Hill sent sophomore Eli Thurmond to the mound to start game two, while HCC head coach Raydon Leaton sent sophomore Kyle Scrape to counter.

The Manatees would score early at the top of the first thanks to a two-RBI single by freshman Tayden Hall to bring in sophomores Owen Ayers and Harrison Long for a 2-0 SCF lead. They would then extend the lead to 3-0 at the top of the second after a sacrifice fly by Long brought in freshman Gabe Wright.

Throughout the next four innings, Thurmond would battle through each inning. Despite a few jams, the upcoming transfer for the University of Tampa would remain calm, cool and collected and breeze through the innings.

Meanwhile, the Hawks would make a change in the bottom of the fifth as Leaton would have freshman Nich Romagnola come in to pitch for Scrape.

At the top of the seventh, the Manatees' bats would strike gold again. beginning with lead-off single by Long. After Hall drew a walk, sophomore Brandon Fields would send a single to center and to bring in Long. After Hall and Fields moved into scoring position on a passed ball, sophomore Kyle Harbison would send a single to center to bring in Hall and Fields for 6-0 lead.

The Hawks would finally get their first run on the board in the bottom half of the inning, thanks to an RBI groundout by freshman Andre Vidal. In the bottom of the eighth, they would add on to their scoreboard thanks to a two-RBI double by sophomore Dillon Besnier to make 6-3, still in SCF's favor.

At the top of the ninth, sophomore Jake Jackson would drive in Long and sophomore Kevin Karstetter to make it 8-3 SCF before freshman Michael Murphy closed the door in the bottom of the ninth for a Manatees' win.

"It feels really good to get the series win," said Long. "I think we really needed that as a team going into our biggest series. We need to carry it over. I think today we all clicked as one instead of different parts. The talent is different, but once we started clicking, it's going to be very good."

"It's a great feeling," said Thurmond. "We've felt we've had our opportunity to do that in the previous series but we were not able to, so we're coming out hot today to get that. The was a big team win. Got some good contribution throughout the lineup and played clean defense. We had a couple of big hits from Jake (Jackson) and Kyle (Harbison) towards the end."

"It feels very rewarding," said Hall. "As a club, we have faced a lot of difficult moment this year and no matter what, we kept fighting and working today so we could come out on top. The team did great overall."

Thurmond would move to 5-2 after giving up three runs on eight hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in eight innings. Murphy would throw one scoreless inning of relief.

"I was just trying to do what I've been doing and working on," said Thurmond on his game. "I was able to attack the zone and set the tone while the defense got me out of a couple of jams."

"Eli came in and did what he's been doing all season and that's throwing strikes and commanding the zone when needed," said Hall on Thurmond. "Our hitters today didn't get cheated and got on base today to score so we can help Eli continue to dominated."

"Eli was the story of the game as well as Mike Murphy," said Hill on Thurmond and Murphy. "Eli threw strikes and kept their team off-balance. Mike also did a nice job have a quick inning for the ninth."

Scrape would fall to 1-2 after giving up three runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts in four innings. Romagnola would give up three runs (two earned) on four hits with three walks and one strikeouts in three innings of relief while sophomore Joshua Bostick gave up two runs on two hits with three walks and one strikeout in two innings of relief.

Long would lead the Manatees in hitting as he went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base.

"I saw the ball really well today," said Long on his game. "I didn't try to do too much and just did whatever I could to help the team.

Ayers and Jackson both had two hits each. Ayers (2-for-6) added a stolen base and a run, while Jackson (2-for-4) had two RBI and a walk.

Hall and Harbison both finished with a multi-RBI game. Hall went 1-for-3 with a run and two walks, while Harbison went 1-for-5.

"I felt good in the box today," said Hall on his game. "It was good to contribute with two RBI to start the game."

"Harry, Tayden, Kyle and Jake all swung the ball well," said Hill on his batters. "Jake's two-RBI single really helped us get some insurance runs for us."

Fields (1-for-4, one RBI, one run and one walk), Wright (1-for-4, one run) and freshman Gage Adams (1-for-3, one walk) had the remaining three hits, while Kaestetter (one run and one walk) also contributed in the game.

Besnier and sophomore Juan Jamie had two hits a piece with Besnier being the only Hawk with a multi-RBI game.

Other Suncoast Scores:

RV Polk State (20-10, 7-2 Suncoast) completed their sweep over St. Pete College (10-17, 3-9 Suncoast) by a score of 10-1. The Eagles will face Hillsborough in their next conference series, while the Titans take a small break from conference play for the next three game as they welcome the University of Tampa JV team (8-4) for two game and TNXL Academy for one.

Suncoast Standings:

1. RV Polk State (20-10, 7-2)

2. #16 FSW (20-11, 7-2)

3. SCF (17-14, 4-4)

4. HCC (11-17, 2-6)

5. SPC (11-18, 3-9)

Up Next:

The Manatees will continue conference play as they play #16 FSW (20-11, 7-2 Suncoast) for the next three game series. Game one will take place at Wynn Field Saturday afternoon, March 19 at 1 pm. Game two will then be in Fort Myers at City of Palms Park Monday afternoon, March 21 at 3 pm before returning to Wynn Field Wednesday night, March 23 at 6 pm.

SCF SB Splits With Bryant and Stratton

PC by K. Loveday

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (16-12) wrapped up most of their non-conference doubleheaders as they split with Bryant and Stratton (9-7) at home losing game one 2-0 before winning game two 4-3.

"There is no getting around it, our offense is struggling and inconsistent," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "If we want to make a run for the postseason, our offense is going to need to show up on a more consistent basis."

I think in the first game, our defense was pretty solid even with a few errors," said sophomore Remi Hebert. "With our offense, we didn't have many bats coming around, but in the second game that definitely changed with our defense still playing pretty solid."

"I thought our offense really pulled together in the second game," said sophomore Hannah Murray. "We were swinging the bat more often and hitting better pitches."

Game One:

Schuerman sent sophomore Samantha Hampton to the mound, while Bryant and Stratton head coach Dean Herman went with sophomore Sydney Birling.

The first three innings of game one was a pitcher's dual as both Hampton and Birling exchanged strikeouts in each inning.

At the top of the fourth, the Bobcats would draw the first run after an RBI groundout by sophomore Olivia Tatlock. At the top of the seventh, they would add the final run as freshman Holly Wendling would score on a fielding error to make it 2-0 before the Bobcats took game one officially.

Hampton would fall to 7-5 after a complete game, giving up two unearned runs on six hits with seven strikeouts.

Birling would earn the win after throwing a three-hit shutout with three walks and nine strikeouts.

Hebert and freshmen Tori Copeland and Liv Siebert had the Manatees lone three hits. Siebert added a stolen base before being pulled due to a broken finger.

Game Two:

Hoping to bounce back, Schuerman sent Hebert to the mound while Herman went with freshman Taylor Roughen to counter.

The Manatees would score first in the bottom of the first after sophomore Mya Achenbcach leadoff with a single and scored on a double steal attempt to make it 1-0. At the top of the third, the Bobcats would fire back as freshman Megan Verbeten would hit an infield single to tie the game at 1-1.

After a scoreless fourth, the Manatees wanted to regain their lead in the bottom of the fifth. After freshman Rylee Trice would single to right, Achenbach put the rocket thrusters on as she sent a triple to right to bring in Trice. Following that, sophomore Gracie Mullett pulled off a successful suicide squeeze bunt to bring in Achenbach before she was called out at first to make it 3-1 SCF.

At the top of the sixth, the Bobcats cut the deficit to one as freshman Khloe Hinkens would hit into an RBI groundout to make it 3-2 SCF, but the Manatees would respond back in the bottom half as Murray would send a towering shot to left for her first of the season for a 4-2 SCF lead.

"I was really just thinking that I had to get a hit since I was leading off the inning," said Murray on her home run. "I just really wanted to get on base and I knew the whole game the pitcher (Roughen) threw inside and continued to throw there throughout the whole game, so I knew I had to turn on that inside when I hit it."

"In my eyes, most of the time home runs are happy accidents," said Schuerman on Murray's home run. "I am happy that it happened for Hannah."

The Bobcats would add one more run from an RBI single by Birling to cut it to 4-3, but it was all they could produce as the Manatees took game two.

Hebert would move to 5-3 after throwing a complete game, giving up three runs on 11 hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

Roughen would move to 3-5 after giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits with one walk and five strikeouts in six innings. She was also 1-for-3 at the plate with a stolen base.

Achenbach would be the only Manatee with a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs. Murrary was 1-for-3 with the home run and an RBI.

Sophomore Alli Bloski (1-for-3), Trice (1-for-2, one run scored) and freshman Chantel Schurr (1-for-3, one stolen base) had the remaining three hits. Mullett (one RBI) and Copeland (one walk and one stolen base) also contributed in the game.

Freshman Bella Herman lead the Bobcats offense as she went 4-for-4 at the plate with two runs and two stolen bases, while Birling was 3-for-4 with an RBI.

Notes:

The win in game two was win #230 for Schuerman as she needs 20 wins to reach 250 career wins and 11 to surpass Meredith Michaels (née Headings: 240, 2007-14) for second all-time in wins.

Other Suncoast Scores:

#1 FSW (23-4) were upset in their doubleheader as they fell to #16 Gulf Coast State College (29-5) by scores of 7-1 and 8-0 (5). The Buccaneers will face RV Central Florida on the road Tuesday afternoon, March 15.

Hillsborough (11-17) split their series with RV Central Florida (25-9) losing game one 9-0 (5) before winning game two 9-1. The Hawks will open Suncoast play as they travel to Fort Myers for round robin games against #1 FSW and Polk State.

St. Pete (20-14) swept their doubleheader over Pasco-Hernando State (17-13) Sunday afternoon by scores of 9-8 (8) and 8-1. The Lady Titans will welcome Lake Region State College (5-7) for a doubleheader Tuesday, March 15.

Polk State (7-13) fell in their doubleheader to Seminole State College (20-15) by scores of 1-0 and 9-5. The Lady Eagles will welcome Madison College

Suncoast Standings:

1. #1 FSW (23-4)

2. SPC (20-14)

3. SCF (16-12)

4. HCC (11-17)

5. Polk (7-12)

Up Next:

The Manatees will now focus on Suncoast Conference play as they travel to Fort Myers for a round robin tournament against St. Pete and #1 FSW Saturday, March 19 at 10 am and 12 pm at City of Palms Park.

SCF Prepares for Next Great Lakes Showdown

PC by Codi Bressler

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (15-11) will look to finish their four-game homestead at home in success at the SCF Softball Complex for their next doubleheader. The Manatees will welcome Bryant and Stratton (7-6) Monday night, Match 14 at 4 and 6 pm. This will be the second-to-last non-conference doubleheader before Suncoast Conference play and the third series against a team from the Great Lakes. Additionally, this will be the first time both teams meet.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of breaking a three-game losing streak after sweeping Lincoln Land CC at home by scores 1-0 and 9-3. 

Originally, the Manatees were scheduled to face Pasco-Hernando State College Saturday afternoon, March 12, but due to upcoming inclement weather, they were forced to cancel their doubleheader.

Winning on her Mind:

Head coach Mandy Schuerman moves closer to the next two milestones after the sweep over Lincoln Land. The former Gator earned her 228th and 229th wins from the sweep and remains on the path for a couple of milestones. Schuerman needs 21 wins to reach 250 career wins and 12 to surpass Meredith Michaels (née Headings: 240, 2007-14) for second all-time.

The Speedy Bunch:

The Manatees speed is lead by three of the players: sophomores Mya Achenbach and Tori Copeland and freshman Liv Siebert.

Achenbach is batting .329 with 25 hits, three home runs, 13 RBI and 13 stolen bases. She was 2-for-6 with a home run, three RBI and three stolen bases against Lincoln Land CC.

Since transferring from Warner University, Copeland has been a big factor in the infield. Currently, she is batting .364 with 24 hits, two home runs, seven RBI and eight stolen bases. She was 2-for-6 with a stolen base against Lincoln Land CC.

Despite not having any hits in the last series with four stolen bases, Siebert, who returned from injury, is currently batting .316 with 18 hits, nine RBI and 12 stolen bases.

Powergang:

Freshman Chantel Schurr is currently batting . 294 with 20 hits, three home runs and 17 RBI. She was 2-for-6 with an RBI and three stolen bases.

While she is a current slump, freshman Gabi Nicholson is still on the power game. Nicholson, who hit her first collegiate home run against CCF, is currently batting .247 with 19 hits, a home run and 16 RBI.

Pitching to the End:

While she has decided to end her career after this season, sophomore Samantha Hampton has proven herself to be a big part of the pitching circle. Hampton, the lone third-year player, is currently 8-3 with a 3.27 ERA, 17 walks and 44 strikeouts. In her last appearance on the mound, she threw an eight-inning eight-hit shutout with a walk and eight strikeouts.

Wild Catches:

Sophomores Remi Hebert, Gracie Mullett and Hannah Murray and freshman Presley O'Kimosh have been the wildcard players lately.

Hebert is 5-2 with a 3.78 ERA, 14 walks and 13 strikeouts. She earned the win over Lincoln Land after throwing a four inning game, giving up all three runs (two earned).

Mullett has rotated around as starting shortstop and starting pitcher. She is currently 2-3 with a 3.65 ERA, four saves, 13 walks and 26 strikeouts while also batting .274 with 20 hits and 12 RBI. Against Lincoln Land, Mullett was 2-for-5 with two RBI at the plate while throwing three scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts in game two.

Murray is currently batting .192 with five hits and five RBI. She had one RBI against Lincoln Land.

Like Nicholson, O'Kimosh has also been a slump as of late. However, she is still currently batting .241 with 14 hits, a home run and nine RBI. She was 1-for-4 with a run against Lincoln Land CC.

Scouting Bryant and Stratton:

Bryant and Stratton hail from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin and represent NJCAA DII Region 4 (North Central Community College Conference). They are lead by head coach and associate athletic director Dean Herman, who enters his fourth season as head coach.

The Bobcats are coming off of sweeping their last series against Hillsborough in Tampa by score of 8-2 and 3-2. In fact, they have been in Florida since March 6. The series with SCF will be the last one before traveling to Illinois for their next doubleheader. Currently, the Bobcats are 5-5 against teams from Florida.

Sophomore Sydney Birling is the Bobcats best pitcher as she is 3-2 with a 0.68 ERA, one save, 19 walks and 55 strikeouts while batting .433 with 13 hits, a home run and seven RBI. In her last outing on the mound, Birling threw six innings with 10 strikeouts in a 3-1 loss to St. Pete.

At the plate, freshman Megan Verbeten leads the Bobcats offense batting .378 with two home runs and 15 RBI. Verbeten is the only player with 10+ RBI.

Fun Fact (2012-Present):

SCF is 30-2 against teams from the Great Lakes Region.

Keep Up with the Games:

Livestats will be provided by GameChanger and will air on the SCF Sports Network

GameChanger Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2022/state-college-of-florida-softball-22-manatees-varsity-61e1abe6990f1fe69d0cb956

SCF Sports Network Link: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/

Walk-Off Grand Slam Leads SCF Baseball over HCC

Bradenton, Fla - Sophomore Benji Gilbert played the hero in walk-off fashion as the SCF baseball team (16-13, 3-3 Suncoast) took the series opener over Hillsborough (11-15, 2-5 Suncoast) at Robert C. Wynn Field by a score of 14-10.

"I thought our guys played really well tonight," said head coach Tim Hill II. "We're playing a lot better defense. Ryan (Stefiuk) pitched an outstanding ballgame and in just that one half of an inning in the eighth is where everything went Hillsborough's way and the one mistake that we made defensively unfortunately happened in the middle of that inning, so it kind of contributed with the dropped ball in center, but the guys didn't quit and played a full nine and thanks went off in the bottom of the ninth and we needed that one for sure."

"We had Ryan on the bump and he threw outstanding," said Gilbert. "So while we were up going into the eighth inning, no one knew that they (HCC) would drop nine runs on us. We had some struggles with the pitching, but at the end of the day we walked away with the dub in the bottom of the ninth inning."

Hill sent freshman Ryan Stefiuk to the mound while HCC head coach Raydon Leaton sent sophomore Murphy Bostick to counter.

Hillsborough would strike first at the top of the first as sophomore Landen Morrison would send a lead-off homer to left for his third of the season. The Manatees however would strike back as sophomore Kevin Karstetter would send a two-run shot to left for his third of the season to bring in himself and classmate Miguel Larreal for a 2-1 SCF lead. One inning later, freshman Tayden Hall would send an RBI double to left to bring in Karstetter and extend the Manatees' lead to 3-1.

In the bottom of the third, the Hawks would make a change on the mound as sophomore Richie Cimpric would come in for Bostick. After the pitching change, Larreal would groundout to bring in Gilbert, but the offense for the Manatees didn't stop when the bottom of the fifth occurred. After Gilbert lead off with a single before moving to second, freshman Gabe Wright would then get hit by a pitch before classmate Dillon Cerone drew a walk to load the bases for Larreal as he lined a single to bring in Gilbert and Wright. After Hall drew a walk to load the bases, sophomore Owen Ayers would draw a walk and bring in Cerone for a 7-1 SCF lead.

Stefiuk remained confident on the mound. Even when facing a few tough spots, the Vanderbilt transfer was able to finish up at the end.

At the top of the eighth, Hill decided to pull Stefiuk from the game and sent sophomore Jake Jackson to the mound for relief. After loading the bases, the Hawks were able to produce more runs as sophomore Jacob Griffith would draw a walk to bring in a run. This would signal Hill to send Gilbert to the mound to try and get an out. Sophomore Juan Jamie would hit into a RBI fielder's choice to bring in the Hawks' second run of the inning before classmate Dillon Besnier would hit an RBI single before freshman Josean Sanchez drew a bases-loaded walk to cut the Manatees lead by two. The Hawks would eventually tie the game at 7-7 after a sacrifice fly by sophomore Cameron Vigh and an RBI single by classmate Mario Lopez. This would signal the end for Gilbert on the mound as Hill would send sophomore Nick Consentino head to the mound.

Eventually, the Hawks would take their first lead since the first inning thanks to RBI singles by freshman Andre Vidal and Morrison and Lopez scoring on a passed ball. Consentino was still able to get out of the eighth as the Manatees would catch Morrison trying to steal home.

After Consentino was able to pull off a strong ninth inning, the Manatees put together their chance to at least tie the game in the bottom half of the inning beginning with a lead-off single by sophomore Kyle Harbison. After Wright was hit by a pitch, Cerone would strikeout for the first out of the ninth. Larreal would load the bases after reaching on a fielding error before Karstetter sent a single to left and bring in Harbison and Wright to cut the Hawks lead to 10-9. This would signal a pitching change as sophomore Joshua Bostick would come in for relief and a save opportunity.

After the pitching change, Hall would draw a walk to load the bases before Ayers would send a sacrifice fly to right and bring in Larreal and tie the game at 10-10. After Fields drew a walk to load the bases, all eyes turned towards Gilbert to seal the deal needing only one run. On a 1-1 count, the former Ole Miss Rebel would send a shot to left for a grand slam for his first collegiate home run of the season and win the game for the Manatees.

"At the beginning of the inning when we came in, they brought in a new pitcher after we faced the previous one for three straight innings and used him straight with the fastball that kept on missing up," said Gilbert on hitting the game-winner. "While I was on-deck, I was thinking 'I'm going to stay calm, have smooth swings and get ahead on contact to let the ball do it's thing', I got the pitch and took it for a ride." 

"Ben was the man of the hour with the bases loaded and two outs," said Larreal on Gilbert's game-winner. "There were fireworks at home plate for the walk-off."

"It was a good way to walk-off the game for sure since he hasn't been swinging the bat consistently lately," said Hill on Gilbert's game-winner. "He knows how to hit and I know he can hit. I thought he had much better at-bats tonight, like his first at-bat where he shot to left that was close to a hit before following with this at-bat. He definitely had a better night offensively and were kind of expecting him to play the way he supposed to."

Murphy Bostick and Stefiuk would both earn no-decisions. Murphy Bostick would give up three runs on five hits with three walks and one strikeout in two innings, while Stefiuk gave up three runs on four hits with five walks and six strikeouts in seven innings.

"I felt good out there," said Stefiuk on his game. "Today my focus in the game was to throw as many strikes as I could. Luckily, all my pitches were working and I was able to pull it off despite the no-decision."

"Ryan really set the tone for us pounding strikes," said Larreal on Stefiuk. "He helped us honestly and if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have that tone. I really wanted him to stay because he was doing so good, but it was his time and it comes down to the eighth where our pitching wasn't there and the arms weren't doing well, but we were able to get our outs."

Consentino would get the win after giving up one unearned run on three hits with two strikeouts in one and a third of relief. He is now 3-3 on the year.

Joshua Bostick would suffer his first loss of the season after giving up three runs on one hit with two walks in one third of an inning of relief. He is now 0-1 on the year.

Four Manatees had at least two RBI in the game and five had at least two hits. Gilbert and Karstetter were the offensive leaders in the game with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored each. Gilbert was 3-for-6 while Karstetter was 2-for-5 with a walk and a stolen base. Additionally, Gilbert threw two-thirds of an inning of relief, giving up four runs on three hits with one walk. Larreal was 3-for-6 with three RBI and three runs.

Hall and Harbison were each 2-for-4 at the plate. Hall added one RBI, one run and two walks, while Harbison added one walk and one run.

Ayers had the remaining hit as he went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Fields (one run and two walks), Wright (two runs and one walk) and Cerone (one run and one walk) also contributed in the game.

Morrison, Sanchez, Lopez and Besnier each had two hits for the Hawks with Morrison being the only Hawk with a multi-RBI game.

Personal Note:

Both Gilbert and Larreal transferred from Hillsborough this season, so this was almost personal for both players going against their former team. Larreal played two seasons with the Hawks, while Gilbert played one after transferring from Ole Miss.

"It was good feeling to play against my former team," said Gilbert. "I have a lot of friends on that team and I love them, but it feels good to actually beat a team I was on because they are very talented."

"I love them all to death," said Larreal. "We came out to play in a very tight game, but it feels good to come on the other side with the 'W'. They played their butts off and we know it's going to be a great series with them."

It was also the same with coach Hill with one of HCC's assistant coaches, Ryan Valdes, who played for Hill in 2014 after transferring from Florida State before transferring to USF for the next two seasons and then playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates minor leagues.

"Ryan was a good player for SCF back then and he is a good coach," said Hill on Valdes. "He's doing a good job recruiting for HCC."

Up Next:

The Manatees will remain at home as they welcome St. Pete Tuesday, March 15 for a rubber match.

SCF Softball Chops Lincoln Land

PC by Codi Bressler

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (15-11) got back on the winning side as they defeated Lincoln Land CC (0-8) 1-0 and 9-3. The Manatees are now 4-0 against the Loggers.

“Although Sam was solid on the mound, we did not have a good offensive approach where we struggled at the bat which we shouldn't have had happen.” said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "We made up for it in game two. It was a little bit of a different look. We were hitting the ball a little bit better and capitalized on some of the mistake Lincoln Land made with aggressive base running which I was very happy about and having more of an aggressive mindset.”

"Our first game was a little slow because we didn't get the offense going until the last inning when we scored that run to win the game in the eighth," said freshman Liv Siebert. "In the second game, we came out firing when we got our first three runs right away and we just kept in going the whole game."

"The difference in both games was our approach," said freshman Chantel Schurr. "We were jumpy in both games, but in the second game we minimized that from the start when we focused on bases hits and I thought we did a good job with it."

“In the first game, our defense played really well and helped balance out the fact that we weren't hitting a lot and didn't have a lot of baserunners on,” said sophomore Samantha Hampton. "In the second game, we came out a lot hotter and wedefinitely more aggressive with the hits."

"We played a really big defensive game the first game and had a good offensive game the second game with our defense still on point," said sophomore Mya Achenbach.

Game One:

Schuerman sent Hampton to the mound, while Lincoln Land head coach Rache Wisner sent freshman Josie Deatherage to counter.

Throughout the game, it was a pitcher’s dual between Hampton and Deatherage as both pitchers exchanged strikeouts and stole offensive opportunities. 

After the seventh inning ended, with both teams unable to score, the game would go into extra innings with the Texas Tiebreaker rule in effect.

At the top of the eighth, with freshman Molly Hughes placed on second, the Loggers would move her to third on a sacrifice bunt, but strong defense played a key role as Hampton was able to get Hughes out. After giving up another single, the defense continued to come in clutch for the Lithia native as she was able to get out of the top half of the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, freshman Liv Siebert was placed on second after flying out in the seventh. After classmate Chante Schurr would move her to third while reaching second on a fielding error. This would set up a scoring opportunity for freshman Gabi Nicholson. On a 0-1 count, Nicholson would ground out while Siebert seized the chance and scored for the win.

"All I needed to do was score the run and be smart on the basepath," said Siebert on scoring the game-winning run. "I didn't want to get into an out, ruin it and not get the run, so I had to be decisive on my running and made sure that the ball was on the ground and I needed to get where I needed to go."

Hampton would get the win and move to 8-3 after throwing an eight-inning shutout, giving up seven hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. In fact, it was her first collegiate shutout.

"I pitched a really good game, but my defense really backed me up on some plays," said Hampton on her game. "I had a few hard hits here and there, but they were there for me on that and they definitely helped me get the win and my shutout completely. We talked about it in the sixth inning, but they helped me out a lot even when I was getting strikeouts."

"I couldn't ask for a better performance from Sam Hampton tonight on the mound," said Schuerman on Hampton's game. "She was very solid today and anytime you pitch a shutout is an extraordinary day."

Deatherage would fall to 0-3 after throwing a complete game of seven and a third, giving up one run on three hits with five walks and six strikeouts.

Sophomore Tori Copeland had the only multi-hit game for the Manatees as she went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a stolen base, while sophomore Remi Hebert was 1-for-3 at the plate.

Siebert had two stolen bases, while Achenbach and Schurr each had one.

Hughes and freshman Alivia Hamberger both went 2-for-3 for the Loggers.

Game Two:

For game two, Schuerman went with Hebert to head to the mound while Wisner went sophomore Alli Brumleve.

At the top of the first, the Loggers would strike first as sophomore Sydney Shaeffer would hit a solo home run for her first of the season. The Manatees would respond back in the bottom half beginning with an Achenbach lead-off single. After Siebert reached on fielder's choice and moved Achenbach to third before stealing second, Schurr would crack a hard infield single towards Brumleve and send Achenbach home to tie the game at 1-1. The game would pause for a couple of minutes as Brumleve was hit on the leg.

After Brumleve checked out fine, Schurr would steal second before sophomore Hannah Murray grounded out while sending Siebert home. Sophomore Gracie Mullett would then single to right and bring in Schurr for a 3-1 SCF lead.

In the bottom of the third, the Manatees would continue their offensive onslaught. After Copeland reached on a fielding error, sophomore Gracie Mullett would send a single to center to bring in Copeland before reaching third on a fielding error. Nicholson would then send Mullett home while reaching on a fielding error. After freshman Presley O'Kimosh hit a single and classmate Rylee Trice reached on a fielder's choice, Achenbach would put her speed to the side for a moment as she sent a three-run blast to left for her third of the season and give the Manatees a 8-1 lead.

"I wasn't seeing the ball really well, so I was focusing on each pitch," said Achenbach on her home run. "I knew she (Brumleve) was going to throw me an inside pitch and I took my opportunity and it was successful."

After Siebert reached first on another Logger fielding error and Schurr hit a single to move Siebert to third, the duo would make a double steal as Siebert would score for a 9-1 SCF lead.

At the top of the fourth, the Loggers would bring their final two runs after Brumleve scored on a passed ball and an RBI double by freshman Nyla Cooper, but it was all they could produce as the Manatees sealed the sweep.

Hebert would move to 4-3 on the season after giving up all three runs (two earned) on four hits in four innings.

Mullett would get her fourth save after throwing three scoreless innings of relief with one walk and four strikeouts. She was also 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Brumleve would fall to 0-2 after giving up all nine runs (three earned) on eight hits with five strikeouts in six innings.

Achenbach was the offensive leader as she finished 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, while Schurr followed after going 2-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases.

O'Kimosh (1-for-3, one run) and Trice (1-for-2, one run) had the remaining two hits, while Siebert (two stolen bases and two runs), Nicholson (one RBI), Copeland (one run) and Murray (one RBI) also contributed for the Manatees.

Cooper and Shaefer each had a hit and an RBI each.

Notes:

With the two wins, Schuerman now has 229 wins as head coach for the Manatees. She now needs 21 to reach 250 career wins and 12 to surpass Meredith Michaels (née Headings: 240, 2007-14) for second all-time in wins.

Other Suncoast Scores:

Polk State (7-13) were swept by Seminole State College (20-15) on the road losing by scores of 1-0 and 9-5. The Eagles will play in the Suncoast Conference Tournament against St. Pete and Hillsborough March 19.

Hillsborough (10-15) fell to Bryant and Stratton (7-6) 7-2 in game one before cancelling game due to inclement weather. The Hawks will travel to Ocala to take on RV Central Florida (24-8) in a doubleheader Monday, March 14.

Upcoming Suncoast Weekly Schedule:

3/12:

SPC @ Lake Sumter State

3/13:

SPC vs Pasco-Hernando

3/14:

HCC @ RV Central Florida

#1 FSW @ Gulf Coast State

3/15:

#1 FSW @ RV Central Florida 

SPC vs Lake Region State College

Suncoast Standings:

1. #1 FSW (23-2)

2. SCF (15-11)

3. SPC (18-14)

4. HCC (10-15)

5. Polk State (7-13)

Up Next:

The Manatees cancelled their doubleheader Saturday, March 12 against Pasco-Hernando, but will be back in action against Bryant and Stratton (7-6) Monday night, March 14 for a doubleheader at 4 and 6 pm.

SCF Tennis Tames ABAC

Bradenton, Fla - The #6 SCF tennis team (4-1, 1-1 Region 8) were pushed hard in their singles matches as they defeated #9 Abraham Baldwin (3-7) 7-2 at home. The Manatees are now 5-0 against the Lady Stallions overall. The Lady Stallions also played #2 Hillsborough (3-0, 2-0 Region 8) where they fell by a score of 8-1.

“Doubles was a really good performance by the girls today,” said head coach Chloe Murphy. “They came off the bats really quick. It was simple and effective quality tennis and didn’t over complicate things and got on and off the court quickly, which I was very happy with. In singles, we made things a little more difficult for ourselves on quite a few courts. I was happy for those who came back to get the win, but we have to make sure we don’t put ourselves into those situations.”

“I think overall we played really well in our matches,” said freshman Jessica Bustamante. “We all came out and played the way we played and it worked out for us.”

“I think we did a really good job in doubles based on our energy today and we didn’t struggle in it,” said sophomore Lou De Freitas Bonet. “As far as our singles, some of us didn’t have the best attitudes, but overall it was still a good match. We tried our best and gave everything we had on the court.”

Beginning with doubles, the sophomore duo of #4 Kia Carvalho-Landell and Carly Gascon Martinez defeated sophomore Tiffany-Anne Beukes and freshman Jou-Chen Chen 8-0 at #1 doubles. The duo of sophomore Lou De Freitas Bonet and freshman Sakurako Suzuki would follow by defeating the freshman duo of Yazmin Barrios and Nicole Dufour 8-2 at #2 double before the sophomore duo of Sarah Forsyth and Luna Mouton (#17 in the Nation) defeated sophomore Ellie Black and freshman Patricia Principal 8-1 at #3 doubles to complete the sweep. De Freitas Bonet and Suzuki would move to 5-0 in doubles play.

As singles play commenced, the Lady Stallions would get their first point as Gascon Martinez would fall to Dufour at the #1 singles spot by a score of 6-2 6-3 before Suzuki defeated Beukes 6-3, 6-0 at the #5 singles spot. Carvalho-Landell, who was having a difficult first set, would seal the series point as she defeated Barrios 0-6, 6-1, 7-5 at #3 singles.

With four singles matches remaining, freshman Jessica Bustamante would take her match at #6 singles as she defeated freshman Lilla Jerry 6-3, 6-4. The Lady Stallions would get their second point as Forsyth would fall to Black 7-5, 2-6, 10-5 at #4 singles before De Freitas Bonet (#12) defeated Chen in threes set at #2 singles by a score of 7-5, 6-7, 10-6 for the final match.

“My match was a tough one because it was pretty close,” said Bustamante on her match. “I had to be the last one to get the point, which could have gone the other way and I just playing my game the entire time consistently, which was how I was able to get the win.”

“The first set was really tight and I was glad I won that one,” said De Freitas Bonet on her singles match. “When the second set started, I was up 4-0 until I started making some mistakes  and couldn’t finish it and she (Chen Chen) ended up winning the second set. Once the tiebreaker in the third set started, I knew I had to win and I did when I changed up my attitude.”

Region 8 Standings:

1. #2 HCC (3-0, 2-0)

2. #6 SCF (4-1, 1-1)

3. #3 SPC (4-3, 1-1)

4. #10 EFSC (1-3, 0-2)

Up Next:

The Manatees will resume Region 8 Conference play as they travel to Tampa to take on #2 Hillsborough (3-0, 2-0 Region 8) Sunday afternoon, March 13 at noon at the HCC Tennis Center.

SCF Softball Splits Final Series with Santa Fe

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (13-9) wrapped up their final series of their first six-game homestead as they split with Santa Fe College (17-9) winning game one 4-3 before losing game two 6-5. With the split, the Manatees are now 23-11 against the Lady Saints.

"We really competed today even if we made some pivotal mistakes in game two that cost us," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "The team won't be satisfied until we win all of our games, so we need to strive for excellence."

"We came out and played with the same energy in both games and that was a big step forward for us," said sophomore Mya Achenbach. "We beat them in the first, but when the second game happened, we weren't expecting to win, we were working for it."

Game One:

Schuerman sent sophomore Remi Hebert to the mound, while Santa Fe head coach Savanah Webster sent redshirt freshman Sophie Abrams to counter.

The Manatees would take the lead early after Achenbach, who drew a lead-off walk, scored after stealing second and third base in the bottom of the first. The following inning, sophomore Gracie Mullett would reach on a fielding error and score on a fielder's choice from freshman Presley O'Kimosh for an 2-0 SCF. While Hebert continue her work on the mound, freshman Chantel Schurr would send a single to right to bring in freshman Liv Siebert for a 3-0 SCF lead.

At the top of the fourth, the Lady Saints would get their first runs on the board from an RBI triple by redshirt freshman Jayelyn Carter and an RBI single by classmate Riley Schnyder to make it 3-2 SCF. At the top of the sixth, they would tie the game at 3-3 thanks to a fielder's choice by freshman Brooke Hackim.

As the seventh inning commenced, the Lady Saints would put Hebert in a couple of jams, but the New Orleans native would remain calm and get out of it to give the Manatees a chance to win in the bottom half of the inning. After the the Manatees loaded the bases with walks from Hebert and Siebert and a single by Achenbach, sophomore Tori Copeland would ground into a fielder's choice and have Hebert be called out at home.

With the bases still loaded, all eyes turned to the fellow New Orleans native in Schurr as she drew a walk on four straight pitches to bring in Achenbach for the win.

Hebert would go to 4-2 after throwing a complete game, giving up three runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Abrams would move to 6-4 after the loss after giving up three runs (one earned) on three hits with eight walks and two strikeouts in six and a third. Freshman Kaylie Araujo would give up one run on one hit with one walk in no innings of relief.

Achenbach (1-for-3), Schurr (1-for-3), Copeland (1-for-4) and sophomore Hannah Murray (1-for-1) had the teams four hits. Achenbach added a walk, two runs and four stolen bases, while Schurr lead the offense with two RBI.

Siebert (one run and three walks), Mullett (one run scored) and O'Kimosh (one stolen base) also contributed for the Manatees.

For the Lady Saints, Carter and freshman Keeli Zingaro each had two hits.

Game Two:

For game two, Schuerman sent sophomore Samantha Hampton to the mound while Webster went with freshman Darian Ingram.

After the first two innings went scoreless, the Lady Saints would draw first blood at the top of the third from a Zingaro RBI triple and an RBI single by freshman Story Geiberg, but the Manatees would respond back in the bottom half of the inning starting with an Achenbach leadoff triple. After Siebert popped out, Mullett would send Achenbach home with an RBI double to right center. Copeland would then follow with an RBI double of her own to bring in Mullett before sophomore Alli Bloski sent a hard single to left to bring in Copeland and give the Manatees a 3-2 lead.

The Lady Saints would retake the lead at the top of the fourth after taking advantages of two Manatee fielding errors for a 5-3 lead. They would add one more at the top of the fifth from an RBI single by Hackim.

With the Manatees chances of catching up dwindling, they tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the sixth. After Achenbach reached first on an error and stolen second and third base, Siebert would send a single to center and bring in Achenbach. After stealing second, Siebert would score on a fielding error as Mullett reached first, but it was the Manatees could produce as the Lady Saints held on for the game two win.

Hampton would fall to 7-4 after giving up all six runs (three earned) on seven hits with one walk and one strikeout in five innings. Mullett would throw two scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit with one strikeout while batting 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Ingram would move to 7-3 after throwing a complete game, giving up all five runs (two earned) on six hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.

Achenbach and Siebert were both 2-for-4. Achenbach added two runs and two stolen bases, while Siebert added one run, one RBI and a stolen base. Achenbach would finish 3-for-7 with six stolen bases. Bloski had the remaining hit as she went 1-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases.

"If I get a passed ball where the catcher in the direction where they are not comfortable, then I take advantage of it every time," said Achenbach on her stolen bases. "With Liv (Siebert) fast behind me, she always pulls through."

"Mya is a difference maker," said Schuerman on Achenbach. "She's a good player, but a better human being."

Schnyder and Zingaro would each finish with two hits with Zingaro adding an RBI.

Notes:

The win in the first game was win #227 for Schuerman. She needs 23 to reach 250 career wins, but also needs 14 to surpass Meredith Michaels (née Headings: 240, 2007-14) for second all-time in wins as head coach.

Other Suncoast Scores:

St. Pete (12-14) split their doubleheader with Tallahassee CC (13-3) winning game one 3-2 before losing game two 7-5. The Lady Titans will welcome Lincoln Land CC (0-2) for a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon, March 8.

Suncoast Standings: 

1. #1 FSW (23-2)

2. SCF (13-9)

3. SPC (12-14)

4. HCC (9-13)

5. Polk State (6-10)

Upcoming Suncoast Schedule (3/7-3/13):

3/8:

SPC vs Lincoln Land CC 

Polk State @ South Florida State College

3/9:

#1 FSW @ Miami Dade

3/10:

SPC vs Bryant and Stratton College

HCC vs South Florida State College

3/11:

Polk State @ Seminole State College of Florida

HCC vs Bryant and Stratton College

3/12:

SPC @ Lake Sumter State

HCC @ #19 Central Florida

3/13:

SPC vs Pasco-Hernando

Up Next:

The Manatees will head on the road briefly as they travel to Ocala to take on #19 College of Central Florida (22-8) in a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon, March 9 at 2 and 4 pm.