SCF Baseball Wins Final Road Game

Tampa, Fla - The SCF baseball team (31-22, 15-12 Suncoast) wrapped up another series in Suncoast Conference play as they defeated Hillsborough (18-30, 8-19 Suncoast) 10-7 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa

"It's always good to get a road win even while our playoff chances have been eliminated," said head coach Tim Hill II. "It got a little interesting at the end, but we were able to hold onto the lead. Both Tayden Hall and Kevin Karstetter swung the bats very well and we had a good outing from Nick Gotilla. I'm just looking to end the season on a modest winning streak."

Hill sent freshman Mike Murphy to the mound, while HCC head coach Raydon Leaton went with sophomore Mathew Johnson to counter.

After the first inning went scoreless, the Manatees would got on the first offensive onslaught beginning with back-to-back walks drawn by sophomores Owen Ayers and Brandon Fields. Classmates Harrison Long, Kyle Harbison and Jake Jackson would hit back-to-back-to back RBI singles to bring in Ayers, Fields and Long for the first runs of the game. After freshman Gabe Wright drew a walk to load the bases, sophomore Miguel Larreal would hit into a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Harbison before freshman Tayden Hall hit an RBI double to bring in Jackson. Wright was then caught stealing home before sophomore Kevin Karstetter drew a walk for another RBI single from the bat of Ayers to bring in Hall to make it 6-0 SCF. It signaled the end for Johnson and Leaton would send sophomore Albert Padron to end the top of the second before the Hawks got their first run in the bottom half, thanks to a RBI fielder's choice by sophomore Milton Cuyler.

Hill would then pull Murphy out and send Nick Gotilla to the mound to breeze through the third with ease before the Manatees added another run at the top of the fourth thanks to an RBI single by Karstetter to bring in Larreal to make it 7-1 SCF.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Hawks would bring in their next run thanks to an RBI single by sophomore Dillon Besnier before the Manatees responded back at the top of the sixth from a solo home run off the bat of Hall for his ninth of the season to make it 8-2 SCF.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Hawks would cut the Manatees lead to five runs as sophomore Jacob Griffith would send a solo home run to right for his second of the season.

At the top of the eighth, the Manatees responded back. After a two-out walk drawn by Larreal and a single by Hall, Karstetter would ignite another run fest as he singled to bring in Larreal before Ayers doubled to bring in Hall for the 10th run to make it 10-3 SCF. In the bottom of the eighth, Cuyler would cut the lead to six runs as he hit an RBI single before Gotilla ended the inning.

In the bottom half of the ninth, Hill would pull Gotilla and send freshman Michael Ojeda to the mound. After giving up an RBI single by Besnier and an RBI double by sophomore Landon Morrision and strikeout two batters, Hill decided to pull Ojeda and send sophomore Nick Cosentino to close the door for the final out of the inning. With one final push, the Manatees secured the win from a groundout.

Murphy would get a no-decision after giving up one run on two hits in two innings. Gotilla would get his ninth win of the season after giving up three runs eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts in six innings of relief. He is now 9-4 for the season

Ojeda gave up three runs on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts in two-thirds of a inning of relief, while Cosentino earned his second save of the season after throwing a third of a scoreless inning of relief.

Johnson would move down to 3-3 after giving up six runs on five hits with four walks in one and two-thirds innings. Padron gave up four runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in six innings of relief, while sophomore Brandon Herrick threw one and a third scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts.

Hall lead the way offensively as he went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, three runs and a walk. Karstetter and Ayers both finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and one walk each. Ayers added one run to the mix.

Larreal lead the way on the basepaths as he finished 1-for-3 with an RBI, two runs, one walk and three stolen bases, while Long, Harbison and Jackson were each 1-for-5 with an RBI and a run.

For the Hawks, Morrison lead the way in hitting as he finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs. Besnier, Griffith and sophomore Cameron Vigh each had two hits. Besnier added two RBI and one run, while Griffith added one RBI and two runs.

Up Next:

The Manatees will wrap-up the regular season at home as they welcome #9 Florida Southwestern (39-14, 23-4 Suncoast) to Wynn Field Wednesday night, April 27 at 6 pm. Sophomore Jake Jackson will start the first two innings before freshman Ryan Stefiuk enters in.

SCF Baseball Wraps Up Non-Conference Play

Tampa, Fla - The SCF baseball team (29-21, 13-11 Suncoast) wrapped up their last non-conference game on the road as they defeated the University of Tampa JV (15-16, 12-5 SSC) 8-5 at the UT Baseball Field in Tampa.

"It was a good win tonight," said head coach Tim Hill II. "We were able to play a lot of guys on the mound and they did what they needed to do. Brandon Fields and Miguel Larreal played solid at the plate, especially with Field's two run homer. Kevin Karstetter was solid on the basepaths after stealing three of our seven stolen bases. While we're still figuring out who will start against Polk State, we know that this is the biggest game of the season so far we have to win to keep our playoff hopes alive."

Hill would send freshman Josh Beck to the mound, while UT JV head coach Mark Johnson went with freshman Nick Lutz to counter.

The Manatees would score early as freshman Tayden Hall drove in sophomore Miguel Larreal with an RBI single to make it 1-0.

After the first two innings, Hill would utilize his routine as he pulled Beck in the bottom of the third and sent sophomore Nick Cosentino to the mound who would breeze through the inning with ease.

At the top of the fourth, the Manatees would extend the lead to 2-0 after sophomore Harrison Long hit an RBI groundout to bring in classmate Kevin Karstetter. In the bottom of the fourth, Hill would make his next change to the mound as he sent in freshman Ryan Stefiuk to breeze through the inning.

Johnson would make his first pitching change at the top of the fifth as he sent senior Aidan Brown to the mound who would breeze through his first inning.

At the top of the sixth, the Manatees went even further on their lead. After a two-out single by Long, sophomore Brandon Fields would show off his power again as the former NJCAA Player of the Week would send a two-run homer to left for his eighth of the season to make it 4-0 SCF.

Meanwhile, Hill would send freshman Jake Dorn to the mound to start the bottom of the sixth. After the change, the Spartans would get their first runs on the board as sophomore Matt Doran hit a bases-loaded two-RBI single to right and an RBI single by freshman Gavin Cooper to cut the Manatees lead to 4-3 before Dorn got out of the inning.

At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would bring back their up further beginning with a leadoff single by Larreal. After Hall drew a walk, Karstetter would send a single to right to bring in Larreal. After sophomore Owen Ayers popped out, Johnson would pull Brown and send freshman James Malonson to the mound. After the pitching change and a double steal by Hall and Karstetter, Long would hit an RBI groundout to send Hall home to make it 6-3 SCF.

Hill would make another pitching change as he sent freshman Jackson Hauck to the mound in the bottom of the seventh, but after loading the bases with a single and two walks, Hill pulled him and sent sophomore Jake Jackson to the mound instead. After Jackson struck out sophomore Colin Dalson, the Spartans would add another run as sophomore Justin Farina drew a bases loaded walk and freshman Mike Rinadi hit a sacrifice fly before Jackson ended the inning with the score 6-5 still in SCF's favor.

Hill would send freshman Michael Ojeda to the mound as the next pitcher for relief in the bottom of the eighth before the Manatees decided to add their final runs at the top of the ninth. After Karstetter drew a walk and stole second and Ayers drew an intentional walk, Johnson would send junior Alex Passarella to the mound. After the pitching change, Karstetter would try to steal third, but was caught and called out before Long drew a walk before he and Ayers advanced to scoring position on a passed ball with Fields at the plate. On deuce's wild, the former South Carolina Gamecock would send a double to left to bring in Ayers and Long to make it 8-5 SCF before sophomore Nate Beenen would come in for Passarella to end the top half before Ojeda completed the save with two final strikeouts for the game.

Beck would earn a no-decision after throwing two scoreless inning, giving up one hit with two walks and two strikeouts.

Stefiuk would get the win and improve to 4-3 after two scoreless innings of relief with one walk and two strikeouts.

Ojeda would get the second save of the season after throwing two scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit with one walk and three strikeouts.

Cosentino threw one scoreless inning with one strikeout, while Dorn and Jackson gave up five runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts combined in two innings of relief.

Lutz would suffer his first loss of the season after giving up two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in four innings.

Brown, Malonsen and Passarella would give up a combined six runs on eight hits with six walks and two strikeouts in five and two-thirds of relief, while Beenen threw a third of a scoreless inning.

Fields would be the offensive leader for the Manatees as he finished 3-for-5 with a home run, four RBI and one stolen base. Larreal was also 3-for-5 with two runs and two stolen bases, while Karstetter rounded out the order in multi-hit games as he finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run, a walk and three stolen bases.

Long would finish 1-for-4 with two RBI, a run and a walk, while Hall (1-for-4, one RBI, one run, one walk and two stolen bases), Harbison (1-for-5) and Wright (1-for-4) had the remaining three hits. Ayers (one run and one walk) and freshman Gage Adams (one walk) also contributed in the game.

Notes:

This was win #342 for Hill.

This was the season finale for Tampa JV.

Other Suncoast Scores:

#11 Florida Southwestern (36-14, 21-4 Suncoast) defeated Polk State (31-17, 16-9 Suncoast) 2-1. The Buccaneers would win the Suncoast Conference Regular Season Championship for the third straight season and clinched a spot in the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament. The Buccaneers will play St. Pete Friday afternoon, April 22 at 3 pm.

Hillsborough (18-28, 8-17 Suncoast) defeated St. Pete (14-30, 4-21 Suncoast) 3-1. The Hawks will play #11 FSW Saturday afternoon, April 23 at 1 pm.

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. #11 FSW (36-14, 21-4) #*

2. Polk (31-17, 16-9)

3. SCF (29-21, 13-11)

4. HCC (18-28, 8-17)

5. SPC (14-30, 4-21)

#Regular Season Champions

*Clinched Spot in the FCSAA State Tournament.

Up Next:

The Manatees will play on the road for their next conference as they travel to Winter Haven to take on Polk State Friday night, April 22 at 5 pm at Bing Tyus Yard.

SCF Softball Splits with Polk State

Winter Haven, Fla - The SCF softball team (25-21, 7-9 Suncoast) were put to the test as they split with Polk State (14-24, 5-10 Suncoast) losing game on 4-2 before wining game two 7-0.

Game One:

For game one, head coach Mandy Schuerman sent sophomore Gracie Mullett to the mound, while Polk State head coach Donna Byars went with freshman Kailey Guethle to counter.

After the first inning went scoreless, the Eagles would take the lead in the bottom of the second after sophomore Tre'sor Eady hit an RBI single and classmate Joneishka Navedo scored on a fielding error to make it 2-0 Polk State.

At the top of the sixth, the Manatees didn't want to get shutout and managed to tie the game at 2-2 beginning with back-to-back singles by freshmen Liv Siebert and Mikayla DeSantis before Mullett reached on fielder's choice. After freshman Tori Copeland singled to load the bases, classmate Rylee Trice would send a single of her own to center to bring in DeSantis before Mullett scored on an RBI groundout by freshman Gabi Nicholson.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Hawks retook the lead after a two-run homer by freshman Paris Key for her second of the season, which would turn out to be the dagger for an Eagles win.

Mullett would fall to 5-6 after giving up four runs on eight hits with one strikeout in five and two-thirds while going 1-for-3 with a run . Sophomore Remi Hebert would give up one hit in one-third of an inning of relief.

Guethle would move up to 5-7 after throwing a complete game, giving up two runs on seven hits with two walks and one strikeout.

Siebert would be the only Manatee with a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-4 at the plate.

Copeland (1-for-3), DeSantis (1-for-4, one run), Trice (1-for-3, one RBI) and sophomore Mya Achenbach (1-for-4) had the remaining four hits for the Manatees.

Key was 2-for-4 with two RBI, while sophomore Stephanie Derringer was 2-for-3 with a run.

Game Two:

Looking to bounce back, Schuerman went with Hebert to start game two, while Byars went with freshman Jacey Bisbee.

After the first inning went scoreless, the Manatees would take the first lead of the game at the top of the second as Trice would send a single to right to bring in Mullett.

After the third inning went scoreless, the Manatees would extend their lead at the top of the fourth beginning with a Siebert leadoff single. After DeSantis reached on an error to move Siebert, Mullett would send a double to left to bring in Siebert before Copeland hit a double of her own to left to bring in DeSantis and Mullett. Sophomore Hannah Murray would then single to center to bring in Copeland to make it 5-0 SCF.

At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would add their final runs of the game. After Mullett and Copeland hit back-to-back singles, Hebert would send a single to left to bring in Mullett. After Murray was hit by a pitch to load the bases, freshman Chantel Schurr would single to center to bring in Copeland to make it 7-0 SCF before getting the win.

Hebert would go to 10-5 after throwing a four-hit shutout with one strikeout. She was also 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Bisbee would fall to 0-2 after giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits with one strikeout in three innings.

Copeland, Mullett and Schurr would be the offensive leaders at the plate with three hits each. Copeland (3-for-3) aded two RBI and two runs, while Mullett (3-for-4) added one RBI and three runs and Schurr (3-for-4) added one RBI. Copeland was the only Manatee with a multi-RBI game in game two.

Trice (1-for-3, one RBI and one stolen base), Siebert (1-for-4, one run and one stolen base), Murray (1-for-3, one RBI) and freshman Molly Starinsky (1-for-1) had the remaining four hits for the Manatees.

For the Eagles in game two, Key was the only Eagle with a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 at the plate.

Other Suncoast Scores:

#3 FSW (41-4, 16-0 Suncoast) swept Hillsborough (14-30, 3-13 Suncoast) 2-0 and 9-1 (5).

Suncoast Standings:

1. #3 FSW (41-4, 16-0)

2. SPC (31-21, 9-7)

3. SCF (25-21, 7-9)

4. Polk State (14-24, 5-10)

5. HCC (14-30, 3-13)

Up Next:

The Manatees will play in their final home doubleheader as they welcome #3 FSW to the SCF Softball Complex Tuesday night, April 19 at 5 and 7 pm.

SCF Tennis Dances To Nationals!!!

Altamonte Spring, Fla - The dreams of nationals for the #6 SCF tennis team will come true for them as they automatically qualified for the NJCAA National Tennis Tournament in Tucson, Arizona for the second straight season after finishing in third place in the FCSAA (NJCAA Region 8) State Tournament at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs.

"Overall, the team came out and got the job done," said head coach Chloe Murphy. We fought hard and came up big. Punching your ticket feels great, knowing you worked for it and get the reward in the end. It's why we do what we do day in and day out."

Singles Play:

In the morning singles, five of the Manatees would fall in their singles matches and move to the backdraw round. Freshman Saku Suzuki would be the only Manatee to advance to the finals where she would defeat freshman Esmee Andersen (HCC) in the finals by a score of 6-3, 6-4 to win the Flight #5 singles.

"For the third time this season, Saku had to play the same opponent and for the first time she beat her" said Murphy on Suzuki's win. "She made the adjustments she needed to make and held her nerve in the second set. I'm extremely proud of her."

Meanwhile in the remaining singles, sophomores Kia Carvalho-Landell (#30) and Sarah Forsyth and freshman Jessica Bustamante would finish third in their matches after falling in the first match. Carvalho-Landell would then defeat freshman Helena Jokanovic (Eastern Florida State) 8-2 at the #3 singles, while Forsyth defeated freshman Dana Bryan (Eastern Florida State) 8-0 and Bustamante defeated freshman Paige Lucas (Eastern Florida State) 8-5.

Doubles Play:

In doubles play, Suzuki and sophomore Lou De Freitas Bonet would advance to the finals at the Flight #2 doubles before they fell to freshmen Arina Gamretkaia and Olivia Pezo (HCC) 6-4, 6-3. Forsyth and sophomore Luna Mouton (#17 nationally) defeated freshmen Paige Lucas and Luisa Renovales Salazar (SPC) in the third place match at the Flight #3 doubles by a score of 8-3.

Final Tournament Standings:

1. #2 HCC

2. #3 SPC

3. #6 SCF

4. #10 EFSC

Notes:

#2 Hillsborough would win the FCSAA State Championship overall while #3 St. Pete was the runner-up.

#10 Eastern Florida State will await to see if they qualify as an at-large bid for the national tournament.

Sophomore Naomi McKenzie (SPC), who was the champion at the Flight #1 singles, would be named the FCSAA Tennis Player of the Year.

HCC head coach Sarah Summerfield would win the FCSAA Coach of the Year for her third straight year. HCC has won the FCSAA Coach of the Year for the fifth straight year.

The FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 All-State Team was also announced with the following names in both singles and doubles:

singles -

Naomi McKenzie (SPC) - #1 singles champion

Valeria Cherfus (SPC) - #2 singles champion

Viktoryia Zhadzinskaya (HCC) - #3 singles champion

Mbali Langa (HCC) - #4 singles champion

Saku Suzuki (SCF) - #5 singles champion

Camilla Mitolo (HCC) - #6 singles champion

Doubles -

Zhadzinskaya and Langa (HCC) - #1 doubles champions

Gamretkaia and Pezo (HCC) - #2 doubles champions

Andersen and Ita Habekovic (HCC) - #3 doubles champions

Up Next:

The Manatees journey of national fame continues as they will head to Tucson, Arizona for the five-day NJCAA Women's Tennis Tournament May 7-11. The opponents will vary on the seedings and whom will get a first-round bye.

SCF Baseball Upsets #7 FSW

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (28-20, 13-10 Suncoast) were able to pull off a big moment in conference play as they upset #7 Florida Southwestern (34-14, 19-3 Suncoast) 14-4 in eight innings via mercy rule.

"I'm very proud of the guys and how they played today," said head coach Tim Hill II. "It's always good to get a conference win no matter who it is. Our pitchers did a very good job and Miguel (Larreal), Kyle (Harbison) and Kevin (Karstetter) swung the bats well. We had some good at-bats throughout the game and kept scoring almost every inning."

"The team did great," said sophomore Kyle Harbison. "That was a huge team win for us that was completed with all hands on deck. (Christian) Gordon and Mikey (Murphy) did tremendous on the mound for us and I can't ask for more out of those guys."

"We played great overall baseball today with double digit hits and walks while our pitching was very well against a good offense," said freshman Michael Murphy. "Coach Batson coached a great game today as well."

Hill II was not at the game, so associate head coach Barry Batson took over for him. Batson would send sophomore Christian Gordon to the mound, while FSW head coach Ben Bizier went with sophomore Frank Elissalt.

After the first inning went scoreless, the Manatees would take the early lead in the bottom of the second beginning with a leadoff double by sophomore Harrison Long. After classmate Brandon Fields hit a single, sophomore Kyle Harbison would load the bases after reaching on an error for classmate Jake Jackson, who would draw a walk to bring in Long for the first run before freshman Gabe Wright hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Fields. After sophomore Miguel Larreal hit into a fielder's choice, Harbison would take advantage of a fielding error and score to make it 3-0 SCF.

In the bottom of the third, the Manatees extended the lead further to 5-0 as Harbison would bring in sophomore Owen Ayers as well as himself with a two-run homer for his fifth of the season.

"In my first at-bat, the guy (Elissalt) beat me pretty good with an inside fastball," said Harbison on hitting the home run. "So coming up for the second at-bat I knew, I wasn't going to let him beat me again with the fastball and I think it was safe to say I won that time."

Meanwhile, on the mound, Murphy, who took over the mound at the top of the second inning for Gordon, kept a sharp eye to keep the Manatees' lead up while strategizing on keeping the Buccaneers from scoring.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Manatees continued with their run support. After they loaded the bases from a single by sophomore Kevin Karstetter and back-to-back walks issued to Ayers and Long, Fields would send a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Karstetter. After Harbison drew a walk to reload the bases, Jackson would reach on a fielding error while bringing in Ayers and Long to make it 8-0 SCF.

At the top of the fifth, the Buccaneers would finally get on the board thanks to a sacrifice fly by sophomore Jose Izarra and an RBI single by sophomore Hunter Fitz-Gerald to make it 8-2 still in SCF's favor.

In the bottom half of the fifth, Karstetter would send a double to left to bring in freshman Tayden Hall to extend it back to 9-2 SCF. In the bottom of the sixth, the Manatees would get into double digit runs as Larreal would double to right to bring in Jackson to make it 10-2 SCF.

At the top of the seventh, Fitz-Gerald would send a two-run homer to right to cut the Manatees lead to 10-4, but in the bottom half the Manatees swatted it as Karstetter and Long would score on another Buccaneers fielding error to make it 12-4.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Manatees wanted to end the game once and for all for the mercy rule to be in effect. After a Larreal single, a Hall double and a Karstetter walk to load the bases, Larreal would score on a passed ball before Ayers drew a walk to reload the bases for Long. With one final look, the former Jacksonville University Dolphin would draw a walk and bring in Hall to win the game.

"It felt great to beat those guys, not only to win but to 10-run them at home on a Saturday," said Harbison. "That's what you live for as a college ball player. The big wins at home will always mean more."

"It felt great run-ruling a good team like that and taking care of business on our home field after a tough game yesterday," said Murphy.

Gordon would get a no-decision after throwing a scoreless inning with two walks and three strikeouts. Murphy would move to 2-0 after giving up two runs on five hits with three walks in four innings of relief.

"I felt good about my effort on the mound along with the rest of the staff," said Murphy on his game. "I kept it simple and got outs when we needed them."

Freshman Gavin Adams gave up two runs on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts in two innings of relief, while classmate Michael Ojeda threw a scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts.

Elissalt would fall to 3-3 after giving up five runs (four earned) on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts in two and two-thirds innings.

The Buccaneers remaining pitchers gave up a combined nine runs (six earned) on eight hits with eight walks and six strikeouts in 5.1 innings of relief.

Offensively, Larreal and Karstetter lead the way in hitting with three hits apiece. Larreal (3-for-5) added one RBI, one run, one walk and one stolen base, while Karstetter (3-for-5) added one RBI, two runs, a walk and a stolen base.

Hall and Long both had two hits apiece. Hall (2-for-5) added two runs scored, while Long (2-for-4) added an RBI, three runs and two walks.

Harbison was 1-for-3, with a home run, two RBI, two runs and two walks. He was the only Manatees with a multi-RBI game.

Fields (1-for-4, one RBI and one run) and Wright (1-for-4, one RBI) had the remaining two hits, while Ayers (three walks and two runs), Jackson (one RBI, one run and two walks) also contributed in the game.

Fitz-Gerald lead the Buccaneers offense as he went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and one walk. He was the only Buccaneer to have a multi-RBI game. Freshman Satchell Norman also had two hits as he went 2-for-4 with a run, while Izarra was 1-for-2 with the remaining RBI.

Other Suncoast Scores:

Polk State (31-15, 16-7 Suncoast) defeated Hillsborough (16-28, 6-17 Suncoast) 5-3 on the road.

St. Pete College (14-28, 4-20 Suncoast) will face TNXL Tampa Monday night, April 18 at 5 pm.

Suncoast Standings:

1. #7 FSW (34-14, 19-3)

2. Polk State (31-15, 16-7)

3. SCF (28-20, 13-10)

4. HCC (16-28, 6-17)

5. SPC (14-28, 4-20)

Up Next:

The Manatees will return to action in a rubber match against #7 FSW Monday afternoon, April 18 at 3 pm at City of Palms Park.

SCF BVB Becomes National Champs!!!

Photo Credit: NJCAA

Tavares, Fla - Despite a slight weather delay in the final match, the #1 seed SCF beach volleyball team (13-7) made their national dreams come true as they won the inaugural AVCA Two-Year College Championship at Hickory Point Beach in Tavares. The Manatees defeated #4 seed Spartanburg Methodist (5-11) 4-1 in the semifinals before defeating #3 seed Lake Sumter State (5-11) 3-2 in the championship match.

"It feels amazing," said head coach Lynn Burnett. "The girls worked really hard for this moment and I am so proud of them and this journey of a lifetime that they have been waiting for. To be named the inaugural AVCA Two-Year College Champions is quite an honor for us."

"The team did really good," said freshman Lana Sandanom. "I am so proud of everyone because we did everything to win this championship and it paid off. We stayed disciplined and still had a lot of fun. There are so many emotions I'm feeling. I am happy and proud, but I am also still in shock not because I didn't believe in us, but because we accomplished what we said we were going to accomplish. We worked so hard for this."

"The team did amazing the whole weekend when we won almost every time by a score of 4-1 or 5-0," said sophomore Lison Stoffel. "The chemistry and cheering was the best. It still feels crazy that after so long with losses in indoor, I can't believe that we made it. It's the accomplishment of months of hard work, ups and downs, but everything vanished after the win and we held that trophy. I am so excited for the next step."

Quarterfinals Matches:

The Manatees, who were the #1 seed, and the #2 seed St. John's River State (6-12) had a first-round bye round to the semifinals where they awaited their opponents.

In the quarterfinals, #3 Lake Sumter State woud defeat #6 seed Bryant and Stratton (0-6) in a 5-0 complete sweep, while the #4 Spartanburg Methodist swept #5 seed Sandhills CC 5-0. As a result of the losses, Bryant and Stratton and Sandhilll CC were sent to the 5th place bracket.

SCF vs Spartanburg Methodist:

Heading into the semifinals, the sophomore duo of Kayla David and Anna Chechelyntska would defeat the sophomore duo of McKenzie MacIntosh and Meghan Scharpenberg 21-12, 21-15 at the #2 spot, while sophomore Giulia Rodrigues and freshman Shelby McGee were forced to three sets against sophomores KayDee Runion and Sidney Russell, but with high spirts and energy, Rodrigues and MeGee won their match 21-10, 27-29, 16-14 at the #4 spot.

The dagger for the Manatees came off of a win by sophomore Ana Broadhead and freshman Yeva Serdiuk as they defeated sophomores Laura Lietzke and Taylor Reilly with a 21-9 pair decision at the #1 spot to advance to the finals and send the Pioneers to the third place bracket.

The final two matches continued as Stoffel and Sandanom defeated freshmen Tayla Reini and Racquel Talley 21-6, 21-17 at the #5 spot, while sophomore Kaylee Forman and freshman Taryn Wright fell to sophomore Abby Funchess and freshman Rory Aho 21-14, 21-13 at the #3 spot for the Manatees only loss in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, in the other semifinal match, #3 Lake Sumter pulled an upset win as they defeated #2 St. John's River State 3-2 to force them to the third place bracket.

3rd and 5th Place Matches:

In the fifth place match, Sandhills CC would win 4-1 over Bryant and Stratton to claim fifth place. Sandhills CC would finish their season at 2-13 overall, while Bryant and Stratton would fall to 0-6 and finished in last place.

In the third place match, #4 Spartanburg Methodist would pull off an upset moment of their own as they defeated #2 St. John's River State 3-2. The Pioneers would end their season at 5-11 with the third place finish, while the Vikings finished their season 6-12 overall with a fourth place finish.

SCF vs Lake Sumter:

In the championship match, the match was delayed for a while due to inclement weather and a lightning delay, but would resume after it cleared up.

Broadhead and Serdiuk would defeat sophomores Erin Ellis and Alyssa Guarino 21-12, 21-16 at the #1 spot to open it up. After David and Chechelyntska defeated sophomores Isabaella Ospina and Carolina Marrero with a 21-6 pair decision at the #2 spot, the Lakehawks would get their points on the board as Forman and Wright fell to sophomore Faith Horgeshimer and freshman Kaylin McCann in three sets (21-18, 18-21, 10-15) at the #3 spot before Rodrigues and McGee fell to sophomore Macey McGinnis and freshman Madison Heskett in a at the #4 spot in a 19-21 pair decision.

The final point came down to the #5 spot between Stoffel and Sandanom and freshmen Cayla Colbert and Leslie Catlett. With a lot of grit, passion and determination, the French duo hit the dagger over Colbert and Catlett and sealed a 21-18, 21-10 win to take the title for the Manatees.

"Lison and I were so happy to play together," said Sandanom on playing with Stoffel for the game-winner. "Seeing everything that we could accomplish was making us really happy. We were able to win our four matches those two days and even if at some moment it was harder because of the heat or when we were tired, we were still able to get back to the game and finish it together and winning those games made us the happiest."

"It feels so good to be able to get the game-winner, especially with Lana," said Stoffel on playing with Sandanom for the game-winner. "We wanted to play together since the beginning and we won every single game of the tournament and winning that last game felt like giving back to SCF for everything that they gave us."

Final Placings:

1. SCF (13-7)

2. Lake Sumter State (5-11)

3. Spartanburg Methodist (5-11)

4. St. John's River (6-12)

5. Sandhills CC (2-13)

6. Bryant and Stratton (0-6)

Notes:

As a result of winning the championship and runner-up, Broadhead (SCF), Serdiuk (SCF), Ellis (LSSC) and Guarino (LCCS), the #1 pairs in the tournament, were named inaugural AVCA Two-Year College All-Americans.

At the end of the tournament, three of the five teams for the Manatees went unbeaten at 4-0: Broadhead and Serdiuk, David and Chechelyntska and Stoffel and Sandanom.

Up Next:

The journey continues for the Manatees as they head to the South Pone Vedra Beach Recreation Area in Palatka for the JUCO Pairs Championship Friday and Saturday, April 29-30.

SCF BVB Sweeps Day One of AVCA Tournament

Tavares, Fla - The SCF beach volleyball team (12-7) pulled off a big sweep to open day one of the inaugural AVCA Two-Year College Championship at Hickory Point Beach in Tavares. The Manatees defeated Sandhills CC (1-12) 5-0 and Lake Sumter (3-10) 4-1.

"It was great to be back in that venue and this time playing alongside the DIIs and NAIAs," said head coach Lynn Burnett. "The atmosphere was electric, yet our team was calm and poised. They did what they were trained to do."

SCF vs Sandhill CC:

The sophomore duo of Kayla David and Anna Chechelyntska made quick work at the #2 spot as they defeated sophomore Abby Quick and freshman Madison Harris 21-11, 21-4. Following along, sophomore Giulia Rodrigues and freshman Shelby McGee defeated sophomore Mya Mallard and freshman KeKe Lawrence 21-9, 21-10 at the #4 spot.

With the score 2-0 SCF, sophomore Ana Broadhead and freshman Yeva Serdiuk would seal the victory at the #1 spot as they defeated freshmen Lexi Allen and L'Asia Jackson 21-12, 21-11.

The final two matches continued as the French duo of sophomore Lison Stoffel and freshman Lana Sandanom defeated freshmen Ja'Lasia Ray and Kayla Sadowski 21-13, 21-14 at the #5 spot before sophomore Kaylee Forman and freshman Taryn Wright defeated sophomore Cameron Lowe and freshman Kaitlyn Locklear 21-19, 21-15 at the #4 spot for a clean sweep.

SCF vs Lake Sumter:

In the second match, Broadhead and Serdiuk would defeat sophomores Erin Ellis and Alyssa Guarino 21-8, 21-15 at the #1 spot to open it up. After David and Chechelyntska defeated sophomores Isabaella Ospina and Carolina Marrero 21-11, 21-15 at the #2 spot, Rodrigues and McGee would seal it for the Manatees as they defeated sophomore Macey McGinnis and freshman Madison Heskett 21-19, 21-18 at the #4 spot.

The Lakehawks would get their lone point as Forman and Wright would fall to sophomore Faith Horgeshimer and freshman Kaylin McCann in three sets (21-18, 18-21, 9-15) at the #3 spot before Stoffel and Sandanom defeated freshmen Cayla Colbert and Leslie Catlett in three sets (21-15, 12-21, 15-10) at the #5 spot.

Other Matches:

At the same time as the Manatees, St. John's River State (6-10) defeated Bryant and Stratton (0-4) 5-0 in the second 8 am matchup.

In the 11 am matches, Lake Sumter State defeated Sandhills CC 5-0 to finish day one 1-1, while Spartanburg Methodist (4-10) defeated Bryant and Stratton 5-0.

Following SCF's win over Lake Sumter, St. John's River State defeated Spartanburg Methodist 3-2 in the other 2 pm match.

Day One Standings:

1. SCF (2-0)

2. St. John's River State (2-0)

3. Spartanburg Methodist (1-1)

4. Lake Sumter State (1-1)

5. Sandhills CC (0-2)

6. Bryant and Stratton (0-2)

Gold Bracket Breakdown:

#1 SCF and #2 St. John's River State earned a bye and will await their opponents. The Manatees will await the winner between Sandhills CC and Spartanburg Methodist, while the Vikings await the winner between Lake Sumter and Bryant and Stratton.

Up Next:

The Manatees will play the winner of the quarterfinals Friday morning, April 15 at 10 am/

SCF Baseball Takes Second Series vs HCC

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (27-19, 12-9 Suncoast) were able to take the second series over Hillsborough (16-26, 6-15 Suncoast) in the rubber match at Robert C. Wynn Field by a score of 11-6. With the win, the Manatees take the series lead 5-1.

"I thought the guys had a gutsy performance today, but they all did a good job to get the win" said head coach Tim Hill II. "Now we can turn our attention to a big series against FSW."

Hill sent sophomore Christian Gordon to the mound, while HCC head coach Raydon Leaton went with sophomore Murphy Bostick to counter.

The Manatees would strike first in the bottom of the first beginning with a leadoff infield single from sophomore Miguel Larreal. After freshman Tayden Hall hit a single of his own, sophomore Kevin Karstetter would send a single to center to bring in Larreal for the first run of the game. After sophomore Owen Ayers moved Hall to third and Karstetter stole second to move into scoring position, sophomore Harrison Long would send a single to center to bring in Hall. After sophomore Brandon Fields would drew a walk to load the bases, classmate Kyle Harbison drew a walk to bring in Karstetter. This would set up a chance for sophomore Jake Jackson at the plate. On an 0-1 count, the upcoming Liberty University transfer would send a shot to center for a grand slam for his second of the season, his first collegiate grand slam, to give the Manatees a 7-0 lead. It signaled the end for Murphy as Leaton would send freshman Chase Jackson to finish the inning.

“It felt good,” said Jackson on his first grand slam. “I was just happy I could do something to help the team win.”

Hill would pull Gordon at the top of the second and send sophomore Nick Cosentino to get a scoreless second.

At the top of the third, Hill would make another pitching change and send freshman Ryan Sediuk to the mound. After the pitching change, the Hawks would get their first runs on the board thanks to a two-run homer by freshman Jordan Sanchez for his third of the season.

In the bottom half of the third, the Manatees would add on to their lead. After a leadoff single by Fields, Harbison would send a triple to right to bring in Fields. After Jackson drew a walk, Larreal would send a single to center to bring in Harbison. In the bottom of the fourth, Ayers would then send a solo homer to right for his 13th of the season.

"I have been slowing the game down for myself at the plate and was looking to do damage," said Ayers on his home run. "I saw the pitcher miss a spot and leave it over the plate and I was able to put my best swing on."

The Hawks would cut the Manatees lead in half at the top of the sixth after a leadoff solo home run from sophomore Dillon Besnier for his seventh of the season, a RBI single by freshman Ty Bitman and Sanchez getting hit by a pitch to bring in Bitman with the bases loaded.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Manatees would add their final run of the game after Jackson hit an RBI groundout to bring in Fields to make it 11-5 SCF.

The Hawks would add their final run of the game after a leadoff homer by sophomore Milton Cuyler for his first of the season, but it was all the Hawks could produce as the Manatees took the series.

"I thought it was a good team win tonight," said Jackson. "The boys hung in there and we got it done. It was a huge win for us. It felt good and we needed to take the series and we successfully did today."

"The team did well overall," said Ayers. "The pitching kept the other team quiet for most of the game while our hitters did very well off the HCC pitching with a seven spot in the first.  Taking that second series was huge for us as we are in a tight race for the playoffs."

Gordon would get a no-decision after throwing a scoreless inning with two walks.

Stefiuk would earn his third win of the season after giving up five runs on six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in five innings of relief. He is now 3-3 on the year.

"Ryan didn't have his best stuff today," said Hill on Stefiuk. "But he worked through it and did a good job."

Cosentino threw one scoreless inning of relief, while freshman Michael Ojeda gave up one run on two hits with one walk and one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning and freshman Gavin Adams threw one and a third scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts.

"Gavin was terrific at the end of the game," said Hill on Adams.

Murphy Bostick would fall to 3-5 after giving up seven runs on five hits with three walks in one third of an inning. Jackson gave up four runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in six and two-third innings of relief, while sophomore Josh Bostick threw one scoreless inning of relief with one walk and two strikeouts.

Jackson was the hero of the offensive game as he went 2-for-3 with a home run, five RBI and a walk.

"Jake had a good night," said Hill on Jackson. "He is starting to swing the bat better like we know he's capable of doing."

Larreal and Fields both had two hits each. Larreal (2-for-4) added one run and one RBI, while Fields (2-for-3) added three runs, a walk and a stolen base. Harbison finished 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run and a walk.

Karstetter (1-for-3, one RBI, two walks, one run and a stolen base), Hall (1-for-5, one run), Long (1-for-4, one RBI and one run) and Ayers (1-for-5, one home run) had the remaining four hits in the game.

Sanchez lead the Hawks offensively as he went 2-for-3 with three RBI. He was the only Hawk with a multi-RBI game. Besnier also had two hits as he went 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Notes:

Ayers was recently named the NJCAA Region 8 Player of the Week. It was the second straight week the Manatees earned the player of the week accolade.

Other Suncoast Scores:

#7 FSW (33-13, 18-3 Suncoast) defeated ASA Miami (11-26-1) 3-2.

Polk State (29-15, 14-7) defeated St. Pete (14-28, 4-20 Suncoast) 8-7 to complete the sweep.

Suncoast Standings:

1. #7 FSW (33-13, 18-3)

2. Polk State (29-15, 14-7)

3. SCF (27-19, 12-9)

4. HCC (16-26, 6-15)

5. SPC (14-28, 4-20)

Up Next:

The Manatees will have their rematch series as they face #7 FSW.

SCF BVB Set for Nationals

Bradenton, Fla - After a successful season, the SCF beach volleyball team (10-7) will now set their sights on the next milestone: the National Championship. The Manatees will travel to Tavares to compete in the inaugural AVCA Two-Year College Championship at Hickory Point Beach Thursday and Friday, April 14-15. The Manatees will play Sandhills College (1-10) at 8 am and Lake Sumter (2-9) at 2 pm Thursday, April 14.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of a sweep over Palm Beach State (4-1) and Lake Sumter State (3-2) this past Friday at the UMR Complex as a part of their 'sophomore day'. At the end of it, they became the inaugural NJCAA Region 8 Regular Season Champions. They also defeated St. John's River State (4-1) on Thursday.

Final Region 8 Standings:

1. SCF (10-7, 7-1)*#

2. Palm Beach State (4-4. 4-2)

3. St. John's River (4-10, 1-4)#

4. Lake Sumter State (2-9, 1-6)#

*Regular Season Champions

#Qualified for Nationals

AVCA Tournament Breakdown:

As far as the Manatees being in the tournament, five other teams will be joining them:

Lake Sumter (2-9, 1-6) (NJCAA Region 8)

St. John's River State (4-10, 1-3) (NJCAA Region 8)

Spartanburg Methodist (3-9) (NJCAA Region 10)

Sandhills (1-10) (NJCAA DIII Region 10)

Bryant and Stratton (0-2) (NJCAA DII Region 4)

The six teams will be divided in two pools of three teams and will play two pool matches on Tuesday, April 12. On Friday, all the teams will advance to championship bracket with the first place teams of pool A and pool B getting a first round bye to the semifinals. The second place team of the pool A bracket will face the third place team of the pool B bracket in another quarterfinal.

Aside from the winner and runner-up of the tournament, there will be a 3rd place and 5th place finish as well. After the conclusion of the championship, there will be a brief trophy ceremony with the #1 pairs from the championship match being honored and named as inaugural AVCA Two-Year College All-Americans.

SCF is the #1 seed overall throughout the entire tournament.

Seed Order:

1. SCF

2. St. John's River State

3. Spartanburg Methodist

4. Lake Sumter State

5. Sandhills CC

6. Bryant and Stratton

As far as the top pair go, the duo of sophomore Ana Broadhead and freshman Yeva Serdiuk and sophomores Kayla David and Anna Chechelyntska and lead the way as the #1 and #2 pairs. Broadhead and Serdiuk lead the way going 16-1 as a pair, while David and Chechelyntska follow going 13-3.

Scouting Sandhills Community College:

Sandhills Community College hails from Pinehurst, North Carolina and represents NJCAA DIII Region 10 (Carolina Junior College Conference). They are lead by head coach and associate athletic director Alicia Riggins, who enters her second season as head coach for the beach team (14th as head volleyball coach overall).

The Flyers are coming off of a double loss sweep against St. Andrews University by scores of 4-1 and 3-2. Their lone win was against Gaston College (5-0) on April 9.

Sophomore Cameron Lowe and freshman Kaitlyn Locklear have won the last five matches together at the #3 pair.

Scouting Lake Sumter:

The Lakehawks finished in last place in conference play after finishing the final matches 1-2 as they won 3-2 over St. John's River and lost 3-2 to SCF twice.

Tournament Schedule:

8 am:

SCF vs Sandhills CC

St. John's River vs Bryant and Stratton

11 am:

Spartanburg Methodist vs Bryant and Stratton

Lake Sumter State vs Sandhills CC

2 pm:

SCF vs Lake Sumter

St. John's River vs Spartanburg Methodist

SCF BVB Sweeps as Conference Champs

Lakewood Ranch, Fla - The SCF beach volleyball team (10-7, 7-1 Region 8) closed out the 2022 regular season with a sweep as they defeated Palm Beach State (3-4, 3-2 Region 8) 4-1 and Lake Sumter State (2-9, 0-6 Region 8) 3-2 at the UMR Sports Complex in Lakewood Ranch. Originally, the Manatees were scheduled to face St. John's River State at 3 pm, but it was switched due to Lake Sumter State's late arrival.

“The girls solidly did what they needed to do and got the job over the course of three matches in the last 24 hours,” said head coach Lynn Burnett. “They were prepped and ready for it since our time at the Mercer Bears Beach Bash when we won against Carson-Newman, which turned out to be a confidence booster for all of us in the tournament overall and helped bring us into the mindset to be here. They definitely played better this morning, even better than they did yesterday because it was the first match in two weeks, so not totally surprising with what they did with Palm Beach State, a team that was from all the other coaches that everyone is saying that it was between us and them that were sitting at the top of the leaderboard and to be them 4-1 was huge and I'm very proud of their efforts and even though we got a little tired and lazy with a lack of discipline in the last set and should have closed it against Lake Sumter 5-0, there are some things we can learn and grow on for the next couple of tournaments we're playing in. I'm very proud of this team for the culture, love and chemistry that they possessed and it has been amazing for the bars they have set for future seasons."

"I thought our team did so good all day yesterday and today," said sophomore Ana Broadhead. "We really managed in the wind well where there was an obvious good side and bad side of the court, so to speak, and our whole team did a good job winning on the good side and managing the bad side and we killed it."

"I thought we started off strong in our first set and had very good ball control in the wind, especially since it was a really windy day," said sophomore Kayla David. "Just talking to my partner (Broadhead), we did really well with that, even when this is the first time we're playing with each other against theses teams, so overall we did really well."

SCF vs PBSC:

In the first matchup, David and sophomore Anna Chechelyntska would defeat the freshman duo of Angelina Botolino and Lola Vidamour at the #2 pair 25-23, 21-16 for the first points. The Panthers would respond back with a point of their own as the sophomore Giulia Rodrigues and freshman Shelby McGee would fall in three sets to the freshman duo of Rita Campos and Amy Young 21-11, 22-24, 11-15 at the #3 pair.

The Manatees would regain the lead as the French duo of sophomore Lison Stoffel and freshman Lana Sandanom would defeat freshmen Ashleigh Desmond and Natalie Faulkner 21-13, 21-15 at the #5 pair before Broadhead and freshman Yeva Serdiuk would defeat sophomore Ashlyn Banton and freshman Nina Vallesi with a 21-17 pair decision at the #1 pair for the winner. Sophomore Kaylee Forman and freshman Taryn Wright would finish the match in three sets over freshmen Dena Otte and Mady Koons at the #3 pair by a score of 16-21, 21-17, 16-14.

After the matchup between Lake Sumter and St. John's River State, Burnett introduced the seven sophomores in their final matches of the regular season: Rodrigues, Broadhead, Stoffel, Chechelyntska, David, Forman and Carolina Moffatt.

"It's bittersweet, but the realization also hasn't set in yet because it's going to take some time for it to set into my brain," said Burnett on her sophomores playing their last season game at home. "A ton of hard work and effort has gone into it for sure and I don't take it for granted."

"There is a lot of emotions going on," said Broadhead. "It's exciting to move on and play at next level, but it's also bittersweet because this was like home to us."

"I feel like this is not over yet because while we are moving on, it was still a good vibe overall and we are all really happy to play here," said David.

SCF vs LSSC:

It would be Chechelyntska and Serdiuk that would win the first match at the #2 spot as the Ukrainian duo defeated sophomores Isabaella Ospina and Carolina Marrero 21-13, 21-7 before Rodrigues and McGee won at the #4 spot by defeating sophomore Macey McGinnis and freshman Madison Heskett 21-13, 21-19.

After the extra match, David and Broadhead would seal the deal as they won at the #1 spot over sophomores Erin Ellis and Alyssa Guarino 21-12, 21-16.

"Our match was good," said Broadhead on pairing with David. "Going into it, we were unsure of how it was going to play out because we both play right side, so when I played left in the game, I think we did a good job passing and setting well and I think the offense took care of itself and our defense was strong."

Forman and Wright fell 11-21, 16-21 at the #3 spot to sophomore Faith Horgeshimer and freshman Kaylin McCann and Stoffel and Moffatt fell in three sets at the #5 spot to freshmen Cayla Colbert and Leslie Catlett 15-21, 21-19, 7-15.

Notes:

With the final three wins of the season and conference, the Manatees were officially the inaugural NJCAA Region 8 Regular Season Champions.

"What a privilege and an honor it is to coach this team for this administration and for the support that we have for the athletics department, for this sport specifically and for what their investing into for next year and I'm very grateful," said Burnett on the winning the regular season championship.

"It feels amazing, especially with it being my last year here and I wouldn't want to end it any better way than at home," said David. "It's so exciting and I know this program has a future ahead for sure."

*Side Note: This was the first interviews I did with beach volleyball this year. David and Broadhead are the first player I interviewed.

As noted, several sophomores will be transferring after this season:

David - St. Leo University (NCAA DII) for beach volleyball

Chechelyntska - Stetson University (NCAA DI) for beach volleyball

Moffatt - Erskine College (NCAA DII) for beach volleyball

Rodrigues - UNC Asheville (NCAA DI) for indoor volleyball

Broadhead - Vanguard University (NAIA) for beach volleyball

Region 8 Standings:

1. SCF (10-7, 7-1)*#

2. PBSC (3-4, 3-2)

3. SJR (4-9, 1-3)#

4. LSSC (2-9, 0-6)

*Regular Season Champions

# Qualified for Nationals

Up Next:

The regular season may be over for the Manatees, but their journey is not as they will travel to Hickory Point Beach in Tavares for the inaugural two-day AVCA Two-Year College Championship. After that, it's onto Palatka for the JUCO Pairs Championship.

SCF Takes Overall Series over HCC

Tampa, Fla - The SCF baseball team (26-18, 11-8 Suncoast) were able to take their first full conference series as they defeated Hillsborough (15-25, 5-14 Suncoast) 6-4 at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Game two will remain at Steinbrenner Field Monday night, April 11 at 6 pm. Freshman Michael Murphy will be given the nod to start the game.

"We need to keep winning since we started off slow," said head coach Tim Hill II. "Since then, the guys have been playing really well for the past couple of two weeks. Gavin Adams was the story of the game. He threw extremely well and while he ran into a little trouble in the eighth, he minimized it and the hitters bounced back to score the runs we needed in the ninth to get the win."

Hill sent sophomore Jake Jackson to the mound while HCC head coach Raydon Leaton went with sophomore Kyle Scrape.

The Hawks would draw the first runs on the board as sophomores Dillon Besnier and Juan Jamie would each hit an RBI single to make it 2-0 HCC.

After the second inning went scoreless, the Manatees tied the game to 2-2 as freshman Tayden Hall would send a two-run homer to right to bring in sophomore Miguel Larreal for his seventh of the season.

In the bottom of the third, Hill made his routine decision and sent freshman Gavin Adams to the mound for Jackson where he would breeze through it.

After the fourth went scoreless, the Manatees would take their first lead of the game. After freshman Lucas Ismali hit a leadoff single, before classmate Dillon Cerrone came in to pinch run, and freshman Gabe Wright drew a walk, Larreal would send a single to left to bring in Cerrone to give the Manatees the lead before Wright stole third and scored on a throwing error to make it 4-2 SCF.

For the next three innings, the Manatees held a 4-2 lead until the bottom of the eighth when Jaime hit an RBI groundout and sophomore Cameron Vigh hit an RBI single to tie the game at 4-4 before Adams finished the eighth.

At the top of the ninth, the Manatees looked to take the lead and get the win to the end. Larreal would leadoff the inning with a walk before Hall hit a double to put runners in scoring position. After sophomore Kevin Karstetter loaded the bases after reaching on a fielding error, Long would reach first on another fielding error while Larreal scored before sophomore Brandon Fields hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Hall to make it 6-4.

The Hawks would try for one more attempt to get a run in the bottom of the ninth, but it was to no avail as the Manatees sealed the deal.

Both Jackson and Scrape earned no-decisions in the game. Jackson gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits with two strikeouts in two innings while Scrape gave up four runs on four hits with four walks and eight strikeouts in five innings.

Adams would earn his first win of the season after giving up two runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in seven innings of relief. He is now 1-2 on the year.

Sophomore Austin Teel would fall to 2-2 after giving up two unearned runs on one hit with one walk and one strikeout in one and two-thirds innings of relief, while freshman Nick Romagnolia threw two and a third scoreless innings of relief with three walks and four strikeouts.

Hall would be the offensive leader as he went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, two runs and one walk. He was the only Manatee with multi-hit and multi-RBI game.

Larreal (1-for-3, one RBI, two walks, two runs and a stolen base, Fields (1-for-3, one RBI, one walk and  one stolen base) and Ismali (1-for-2) had the remaining three hits. Karstetter (one stolen base), Wright (one run, one walk and one stolen base), Long (one RBI and one walk), Cerrone (one run) and sophomores Kyle Harbison (one walk) and Owen Ayers (one walk) also contributed in the game.

Besnier, Vigh and freshman Josean Sanchez each had two hits, while Jamie was the only Hawk with a multi-RBI game as he went 1-for-4 with two RBI.

Other Suncoast Scores:

Polk State (27-15, 12-7 Suncoast) defeated St. Pete (14-26, 4-18 Suncoast) 5-2 in the opening game.

#8 FSW (32-12, 18-3 Suncoast) defeated Elev8 Academy 15-0 via the mercy rule. The Buccaneers will face #19 Miami Dade (29-12-1, 12-0 Southern) Monday afternoon, April 11 at 3 pm.

Suncoast Standings:

1. #8 FSW (32-12, 18-3)

2. Polk State (27-15, 12-7)

3. SCF (26-18, 11-8)

4. HCC (15-25, 5-14)

5. SPC (14-26, 4-18)

SCF Softball Sweeps Round Two of Round Robin

Clearwater, Fla - The SCF softball team (24-18, 6-6 Suncoast) completed their first sweep of round robin play as they defeated Hillsborough (12-28, 1-11 Suncoast) 9-0 via the eight-run mercy rule and Polk State (13-19, 4-6 Suncoast) 4-3 at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex. As a result, the Manatees claimed both series against the Hawks and the Eagles.

"Today, we had to great team wins," said head coach Mandy Schueraman. "It feels good every time we play well and win. Game one, our was a little more solid than game two where we faltered a little. Sam (Hampton) and Remi (Hebert) pounded the zone really well, which help our success and Mya (Achenbach), Gracie (Mullett) and Rylee (Trice) all had exceptional days at the plate and it was the first day that we hit during the games how we hit in practice, so I was very happy with our offensive performance today."

"Today, we showed out as a team in every aspect hitting to fielding to pitching," said sophomore Samantha Hampton. "We were all on it all day. I think we finally showed that we are capable of taking two from any team."

"I felt like our team played great overall today," said freshman Rylee Trice. "Going into today, I knew both teams wanted to beat us and we were going to have to make plays and hit well."

SCF vs HCC:

Schuerman sent Hampton to the mound, while HCC head coach Elizabeth Holloman went with sophomore Ashleigh Penix.

The Manatees would get on the board early as sophomore Mya Achenbach would hit a leadoff solo homer to center for her fourth of the season.

After the next two innings went scoreless, the Manatees decided to extend their lead at the top of the fourth beginning with freshman Liv Siebert drawing a leadoff walk before stealing second and advancing to third on a passed ball. With Siebert in scoring position, sophomore Gracie Mullett would send a single to center to bring in Sibert. After freshman Tori Copeland hit a single of her own, Trice would make her moment shine as she sent a three-run homer to left for her first collegiate home run of the season. 

"Hitting my first home run felt great knowing that I did my job at the plate," said Trice on her first collegiate home run.

After freshman Gabi Nicholson hit a single and stole second, it signaled the end for Penix as Holloman would send freshman Riley Fromberg to the mound. After the pitching change, freshman Chantel Schurr would reach second on a fielding error while Nicholson scored to make it 6-0 SCF.

At the top of the fifth, the Manatees added their final runs of the game. After Siebert and freshman Mikayla DeSantis hit back-to-back singles, with Siebert stealing second before sophomore Remi Hebert came in to pinch run, Mullett would send a single to center to bring in Hebert. Copeland would then hit a sacrifice fly and bring in DeSantis before Trice sent a double to right to bring in Mullett for a 9-0 SCF lead before the Manatees closed the door with the mercy rule win.

Hampton would move to 10-8 after a five-inning five-hit shutout with one walk and three strikeouts.

"My pitching was not my best job today, but I went out there and did my job the best I could," said Hampton on her game. "Having my defense behind me every step of the way was great, especially since we started stringing hits together and taking advantage of the other team's mistakes."

Penix would fall to 4-5 after giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts in three innings while going 1-for-1 at the plate. Fromberg would give up three runs on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts in two innings of relief.

Trice would be the leader offensively as she went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI. Mullett would follow as she went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs.

Achenbach and Copeland were both 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run each, while Nicholson (1-for-3, one run and one stolen base), Siebert (1-for-2, one run and two stolen bases) and DeSantis (1-for-3, one run) had the remaining three hits. Schurr (one stolen base), Hebert (one run) and sophomore Alli Bloski (one walk) also contributed in the game.

For the Hawks, aside from Penix, sophomores Amanda Denis, Olivia Davis and Raelin McCallister and freshman Jaydah Stroup had the remaining hits.

SCF vs Polk State:

For game two, Schuerman went with Hebert to pitch the second game, while Polk State head coach Donna Byars went with sophomore Stephanie Derringer.

The Manatees, who were the home team for game two, would get on early at the top of the first after Achenbach drew a lead-off walk, stole second and advance to third on a Trice sacrifice bunt before scoring on a passed ball.

After the second inning went scoreless, Achenbach would extend the lead further as she hit a solo homer to right for her fifth of the season and second of the doubleheader. After Trice drew a walk, Byars would pull Derringer and send sophomore Sophia Palazini to the mound. Trice would then steal second before DeSantis would draw a walk. Trice and DeSantis would then pull a double steal to get into scoring position before Trice scored after Mullett reached first on a fielding error to make it 3-0 SCF.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Manatees would add their final run as Mullett would single to left to bring in Achenbach to make it 4-0 SCF.

At the top of the seventh, the Eagles would finally get on the board as freshman Alma Fernandez would hit an RBI single to make 4-1 still in SCF's favor. They would then load the bases and cut the deficit to 4-34 after sophomore Mackenzie Nix reached on a fielding error, but the Manatees were still able to pull away with the win after Palanzini popped out to end the game.

"It felt good to go out there today and take two wins to seal the deal of us taking the series against both teams," said Hampton.

Hebert would earn her ninth win of the season after throwing a complete game, giving up three runs (one earned) on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts. She is now 9-5 on the year.

Derringer would fall to 4-7 after giving up three runs (one earned) on two hits with four walks and two strikeouts in two innings. Palazini gave up one run on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts in four innings of relief.

Achenbach would be the leader in game two as she went 2-for-2 with a home run, three runs, a walk and two stolen bases. She was the only Manatee with a multi-hit game in game two and finished the doubleheader 3-for-5 with two home runs, two RBI, four runs scored and two stolen bases.

Mullett followed finishing 1-for-2 with two RBI and a walk while finishing the series 3-for-5 with four RBI and a walk. Schurr had the remaining hit as she went 1-for-3 with a triple.

Trice (one run, one walk and two stolen bases),  Copeland (one walk), DeSantis (two walks and a stolen base), Nicholson (one stolen base) and freshman Sam Carlin (one walk) also contributed in the game.

Fernandez and freshman Jennie Brogdon both were 2-for-3 at the plate. Brogdon added a run and the lone RBI.

Notes:

With the sweep, Schuerman earned win #237 and #238. She needs 12 to reach 250 wins and three to surpass Meredith Heading (240, 2007-14) for second all-time in wins as head coach.

Other Suncoast Scores:

#3 FSW (35-4, 10-0 Suncoast) swept their part of the round robin as they defeated Polk State 6-2 and SPC (29-19, 7-5 Suncoast) 8-0 (5).

SPC defeated HCC 4-3 before losing to #3 FSW.

Suncoast Standings:

1. #3 FSW (35-4, 10-0)

2. SPC (29-19, 7-5)

3. SCF (24-18, 6-6)

4. Polk (13-19, 4-6)

5. HCC (12-28, 1-11)

Up Next:

The Manatees will look forward to returning home as they welcome SPC to the SCF Softball Complex for a doubleheader Tuesday night, April 12 at 5 and 7 pm.

Ayers' 10 for 10 Helps SCF Takes Series Over SPC Via Mercy Rule

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF baseball team (24-18, 9-8 Suncoast) did not stop their offensive onslaught towards St. Pete College (14-24, 4-16 Suncoast) as they won by a score of 26-5 via the seven-inning mercy rule at Robert C. Wynn Field. Game three will return back to Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater Friday night, April 8 at 6 pm.  Freshman Michael Murphy will be given the nod to start the first two innings.

"It was a really nice win tonight," said head coach Tim Hill II. "It was good to see our guys play well on our home field. I thought we were a little flat to start the game, but then the guys responded and swung the bats well. We were a little sloppy on defense and that gave St. Pete a couple of runs, but then everybody picked it up. It was also good to see Dillon Cerrone, Owen Ayers and Brandon Fields swing a hot bat as of late."

Hill sent sophomore Jake Jackson for the first couple of innings, while SPC head coach Jeremy Graf went with freshman Manuel Meilan.

The Titans would get on the board first at the top of the first after an RBI groundout by sophomore Will Bruno, but in the bottom half, the Manatees would take the lead as Ayers would send a three-run blast to right-center for his 10th of the season to drive in sophomore Miguel Larreal and freshman Tayden Hall.

At the top of the second, the Titans retied the game to 3-3 after an RBI single by freshman Nick Garagozzo and classmate Logan Sanders scored on a double steal. At the top of the third, Hill would make a change on the mound as he sent freshman Ryan Stefiuk to the mound where he threw a scoreless third. In the bottom half, the Manatees would retake the lead as sophomore Brandon Fields would send a double to bring in Ayers for a 4-3 SCF lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Manatees extended their lead with 12 runs beginning with a leadoff single off the bat of sophomore Kyle Harbison. After freshman Gabe Wright drew a walk, Larreal would send a double to left and bring in Harbison. Following Larreal's double, Hall would send a single to right-center to bring in Wright and Larreal.

After sophomore Kevin Karstetter drew a walk and Ayers hit a single to load the bases, sophomore Harrison Long would send a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Hall before Fields belted a three-run shot to left for his seventh home run of the season. This would signal the end for Meilan as Graf would have sophomore Logan Scheu pitch in relief.

After the pitching change, Harbison, Larreal freshman and Lucas Ismali drew back-to-back-to-back walks while the Manatees batted around. Hall would then send a double to right-center and clear the bases before the Titan sent sophomore Tanner Goswick to the mound to replace Scheu. Karstetter would then hit an RBI double of his own to bring in Hall and Ayers brought in Karstetter with an RBI single to make it 16-3 SCF.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Manatees continued to pound runs on the board as Harbison would send a two-run blast to center for his third of the season to make it 18-3 SCF. 

The Manatees would add the final touches in the bottom of the sixth beginning with a Karstetter leadoff single. After Ayers struck out, Hill would have freshman Dillon Cerrone come in to pinch hit for Long as he sent a two-run blast to right for his first collegiate home run. This would send freshman Austin Coultas to the mound. After Fields hit a single and freshman Gage Adams drew a walk, Harbison would send a single down the middle to bring in Fields. Wright would then get hit by a pitch to load the bases before Larreal drew a walk to bring in Adams. Hall would then send a single to right to bring in Harbison before Karstetter sent a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Wright and Cerrone hit a two-RBI double to bring in Larreal and Hall to make it 26-3.

The Titans would add their final two runs on the board at the top of the seventh as Sanders would send a two-run homer to center for his fourth of the season, but it was the Titans could produce as the Manatees pulled away with the mercy rule.

Jackson would get a no-decision after giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts in two innings. Stefiuk would move to 2-3 after giving up two runs on five hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in five innings of relief.

Meilan would fall to 1-3 after giving up 10 runs on seven hits with five walks and one strikeout. Scheu would give up three runs on one hit with two walks in a third of an inning, while Goswick gave up five runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout in one and two-thirds inning and Coultas gave up eight runs (five earned) on seven hits with two walks and one strikeout in one inning.

Seven Manatees had at least two hits in the game. Ayers would lead the team in hits as he went 4-for-5 with a home run, four RBI, three runs scored and a walk. Hall was the overall offensive leader as he went 3-for-5 with five RBI, while Fields went 3-for-6 with a home run and four RBI and Harbison went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI and two walks.

Cerrone would go 2-for-2 with a home run and four RBI, while Larreal went 2-for-4 with two RBI, four runs and two walks. Karstetter rounded out the order going 2-for-3 with two RBI, three runs and a walk.

Ismali (1-for-2, one run and one walk) and Long (1-for-3, one RBI and two walks) had the remaining two hits, while Wright (two runs and one walk), Adams (one walk and one run) and freshman Jackson Hauck (one run) all contributed in the game.

Sanders lead the Titans offensive as he went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. He was the only Titan with multi-RBI game. 

Notes:

Fields was named the NJCAA and FCSAA Player of the Week.

"It was a nice honor for him," said Hill on Fields winning the accolades.

The 26 runs in the game were the most scored under the Hill II era and surpassed the 23 runs last year (3/14/21) and the second highest in program history.

Other Suncoast Scores:

#8 FSW (30-12, 17-3 Suncoast) defeated Hillsborough (15-23, 5-12 Suncoast) 7-5 to take the series.

Polk State (26-15, 11-7 Suncoast) completed their sweep over the Florida Southern College JV team by a score of 18-0. The Hawks will resume conference play against SPC.

Suncoast Standings:

1. #8 FSW (30-12, 17-3)

2. Polk (26-15, 11-7)

3. SCF (24-18, 9-8)

4. HCC (15-23, 5-12)

5. SPC (14-24, 4-16)

SCF Tennis Close Season with Win Over Warner

Bradenton, Fla - The #6 SCF tennis team (7-4, 2-4 Region 8) wrapped up the regular season at home as they shutout NAIA Warner University (2-12, 0-5 Sun) 9-0 at the SCF Tennis Complex.

"Today was awesome,"  said head coach Chloe Murphy. "It was fun to celebrate the sophomore before the match where we decorated the courts and give them gifts. It's been a special group where we have been through the ups and downs from the shortened COVID year to going to nationals last year and they come out and perform this year, which was the icing on the cake."

Beginning with doubles, the duo of sophomore Lou De Freitas Bonet and Sakurako Suzuki defeated the freshman duo of Riley Cook and Alizee Piette 8-1 at #3 doubles. After the sophomore duo of #17 Sarah Forsyth and Luna Mouton defeated sophomore Karen Alves and freshman Carla Schneider 8-1 at #3 doubles, the sophomore duo of #4 Kia Carvalho-Landell and Carlota Gascon Martinez defeated senior Danieris Santiago and freshman Camila Matos 8-3 at #1 doubles for a 3-0 SCF lead. 

"I'm happy with my match with Sarah, which was better than yesterday," said Mouton. "We knew it was the last one at home and we just tried to enjoy it and do our best to win and I'm happy that we win."

As singles play commenced, the Manatees only needed two to win the entire matchup and end on a good note. Freshman Jessica Bustamante would defeat Alves 6-0, 6-1 at #6 singles before Suzuki landed the dagger against Schneider with a 6-0 pair decision at #5 singles. Bustamante would move up to 5-6 while Suzuki moved to 8-4.

Singles play continued for the remaining matches as Carvalho-Landell would defeat Cook with a 6-1 pair decision at #3 singles.

"The girl (Cook) was very strong and aggressive with her backhand," said Carvalho-Landel on her match. "One of things I had to do in the first set was keep the ball in the court and have her make mistakes. In the second set, we fought hard and I just waited for her to make the mistake. I'm just so happy that I won my match."

Following that, De Freitas would defeat Santiago 6-4, 6-1 at #2 singles.

"I thought I did ok," said De Freitas Bonet. "The first set was hard with my serving and a lot of my returns were out, but I found the solution in myself when I was down 4-3 and it was my serve and I just hit four in a row and I thought I should change something and it worked to help me win my last home match."

Forsyth would then defeat Piette 6-0, 6-1 at #5 singles before Gascon Martinez, who was forced to a third set, completed the sweep by defeating Matos 6-2, 7-5, 10-1 at #1 singles.

"I think we played well compared to our last match," said Forsyth. "We had a lot more energy and we came together as a team. We played well together knowing that it was our last match of the season. At the end of Carly's match, we supported her."

"I felt so supportive with my team by my side," said Gascon Martinez. "Obviously when I won the first set it was easy, but during the second set, I complicated myself in the second set and not play the same, which was worse but at the end of the day, I won my last home match of the season."

Notes:

The matchup for the Manatees was dubbed as 'sophomore day' for the five sophomores: De Freitas Bonet, Forsyth, Mouton, Carvalho-Landell and Gascon Martinez.

"They performed well in both singles and doubles," said Murphy on her sophomore day. "Courts two and three got the job quick while court one had to fight off being down 3-0 and won eight games. Most of the matches were pretty routine with the exception match one and Carly did a good job recomposing herself and finishing strong in the third set, so I couldn't be happier, especially being the last home match for the sophomores."

Region 8 Standings*:

1. #2 HCC (9-1, 6-0)^

2. #3 SPC (7-4, 4-2)

3. #6 SCF (7-4, 2-4)

4. EFSC (2-7, 0-6)

*The standings are a guess and are unofficial.

^Region 8 Regular Season Champions

Up Next:

The Manatees will play in one final scrimmage as they travel to Palm Beach to take on Palm Beach Atlantic (6-10, 1-7 SSC) Saturday afternoon, April 9 at 2 pm at the Mitch Gornto Tennis Center. Following the scrimmage, the Manatees will travel to Altamonte Springs for the FCSAA Region 8 Tournament at SanLando Park April 14-16.

SCF BVB Sounds Off for Sophomore Night

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF beach volleyball team (6-7, 3-1 Region 8) are set to return home for their final three matchups as they welcome St. John's River State (4-7, 1-1 Region 8) to the UMR Beach Volleyball Plaza Thursday night, April 7 at 6:30 pm before playing in a doubleheader against St. John's River at 9 am and Palm Beach State (3-3, 3-1 Region 8) at 3:30 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of a recent road trip where they competed in the Mercer Bears Beach Bash in Macon, Georgia. There, they finished 1-3 losing the first two matches to NCAA DII Saint Leo (3-2) and host Mercer (4-1) before splitting day two winning their first match over NCAA DII Carson-Newman University (3-2) and losing match two against Jacksonville University (5-0). The Manatees were the only junior college team to participate in the tournament.

Leading the path for the Manatees is the duo of sophomore Ana Broadhead and freshman Yeva Serdiuk. The pair is currently 5-0 at the #1 spot.

Following Broadhead and Serdiuk is the sophomore duo of Kayla David and Anna Chechelyntska as they are 3-2 at the #2 spot.

Sophomore Soundoff:

The night matchup against St. John's River State will be dubbed as 'sophomore night' as head coach Lynn Burnett will recognize seven sophomores on the team: Broadhead, Chechelyntska, David, Kaylee Forman, Giulia Rodrigues, Carolina Moffatt and Danielle Conover.

Scouting St. John's River State:

The Vikings are coming off of a big weekend trip in California on March 18-19 where they went 3-2 there. On day one, they swept and shutout Santa Ana College and Saddleback College (both CCCAA) by scores of 5-0 each before finishing day two 1-2 after losing to the University of Nebraska 5-0 and Irvine Valley College (CCCAA) 3-2 before shutting out California Lutheran University (NCAA DIII) 5-0.

Currently, the Vikings sit in third place in conference.

Scouting Palm Beach State:

The Panthers are coming off of a doubleheader loss to Jacksonville (3-2) and Saint Leo (5-0)

SCF Tennis Closes Conference Play With Win vs EFSC

Bradenton, Fla - The #6 SCF tennis team (6-4, 2-4 Region 8) wrapped up their portion of conference play as they defeated #10 Eastern Florida State (2-5, 0-4 Region 8) 5-4 at the SCF Tennis Complex. It is the Manatees first sweep in conference play.

Beginning with doubles, the #4 sophomore duo of Kia Carvalho-Landell and Carlota Gascon Martinez defeated the duo of sophomore Kayla Greco and freshman Kanna Kobayakawa 8-1 at #1 doubles. Sophomore Lou De Freitas Bonet and freshman Saku Suzuki would follow with an 8-3 win against the freshman duo of Simona Karlsson and Luisa Renovales at #2 doubles before the sophomore duo of #17 Luna Mouton and Sarah Forsyth fell to the freshman duo of Paige Noble-Lucas and Luisa Renovales Salazar 8-6 at #3 doubles. It would be 2-1 in favor of SCF.

As singles play commenced, Suzuki would quickly finish first as she defeated Renovales with 6-0 pair decision at #5 singles. De Freitas Bonet would follow with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Greco at #2 singles before Carvalho-Landell (#30) defeated Karlsson 6-0, 6-3 at #3 singles for the final dagger and put the Manatees up 5-1.

Singles play continued as Forsyth would fall to Lucas 6-1, 6-2 at #4 singles before Gascon Martinez (#33) fell to Kobayakawa in a 6-2 pair decision at #1 singles and freshman Jessica Bustamante fell to Noble-Lucas 4-6, 6-3, 0-1 in three sets at the #6 singles.

Notes:

The win over Eastern Florida State puts the Manatees in third place in conference.

Region 8 Standings:

1. #2 HCC (8-1, 5-0)*

2. #3 SPC (6-4, 3-2)

3. #6 SCF (6-4, 2-4)

4. #10 EFSC (2-5, 0-4)

*Likely Regular Season Champions

Up Next:

The Manatees will wrap up the regular season at home as they welcome Warner University (2-11, 0-5 Sun) Wednesday afternoon, April 6 at 2 pm. It will be dubbed as sophomore day for Carvalho-Landell, Gascon Martinez, Forsyth, De Freitas and Mouton. Kathrin Didovich will also be recognized for sophomore day.

SCF Baseball Takes First Game at SPC

Clearwater, Fla - The SCF baseball team (23-18, 8-8 Suncoast) were able to get their conference record back at even as they defeated St. Pete (14-23, 4-15 Suncoast) 16-12 at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater. Game two will take place at Wynn Field Wednesday night, April 6 at 6 pm.

Head coach Tim Hill II sent freshman Michael Murphy to the mound, while SPC head coach Jeremy Graf went with freshman Tanner Walker.

The Manatees would gain the early lead at the top of the first. After a leadoff single by freshman Tayden Hall and a double from sophomore Kevin Karstetter, sophomore Owen Ayers would ground out and bring in Hall for the first run. Classmate Harrison Long would then groundout as he sent Karstetter home. With two outs, sophomore Brandon Fields would send a double to right before freshman Lucas Isamli lined a single to the middle to bring in Fields for a 3-0 SCF lead.

At the top of the second, the Manatees extended the lead to 6-0 as Ayers would drive in freshman Dillon Cerrone and Karstetter with a three-run homer to right for his ninth of the season.

The Titans would then get their first run of the game in the bottom of the third as freshman Nicholas Yedman would hit an RBI single to make it 6-1 still in SCF's favor.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Manatees made a pitching change as Hill sent sophomore Nick Gotilla to the mound. After the pitching change, the Titans would the Manatees lead to 6-5 thanks to an RBI singles by freshmen Austin Coultas, a sacrifice fly by Yedman and a two-RBI single by Sam Bianco before Gotilla ended the inning.

The Manatees would extend the lead to 7-5 at the top of the fifth after a sacrifice fly by Fields brought in Karstetter, but the Titans would gain their first lead in the bottom half of the inning after Coultas reached on an error to bring in sophomore Jadier Morelos, Yedman hit a two-RBI double and Bianco hit an RBI double to put the lead to 9-7 SPC.

At the top of the sixth, the Titans would make a pitching change and send sophomore Jared Kapurch to the mound. After the pitching change, the Manatees would attempt to regain the lead. Harbison would get a single before being called out trying to extend it to a double before freshman Gabe Wright hit a ground-rule double to start it off before Hall sent a single down the middle to bring in Wright. Karstetter would then send a triple to center to bring in Hall and tie the game at 9-9. After Ayers drew a walk, Karstetter would score on a passed ball to give the Manatees a 10-9 lead.

After the seventh inning went scoreless, the Manatees wanted to extend their lead with insurance runs at the top of the eighth. After the Titans sent sophomore Logan Scheu to the mound, sophomore Miguel Larreal would lead-off the inning with a pinch-hit single. After Karstetter hit an infield single to move Larreal to third before stealing second to put runners in scoring position. After Ayers was intentionally walked to load the bases, Long would send a single to right to bring in Larreal before the Titans sent freshman Jacob Torres to replace Scheu.

After the change, Fields would draw a bases-loaded walk to bring in Karstetter before Ayers scored on a wild pitch. Ismali would then a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Long before Harbison hit a double to left to bring in Fields to make it 15-9 SCF.

At the top of the ninth, the Manatees would add their final run of the game as Hall drew a walk before scoring on a fielding error with Karstetter reaching base to make it 16-9 SCF.

After Hill pulled Gotilla and sent sophomore Nick Cosentino to try and finish the top of the ninth, the Titans tried to get one more gasp of air on the offensive end after an RBI groundout by freshman Ben Maskin and an RBI single by Bianco. It signaled the end for Cosentino as Hill would make his final change and send sophomore Jake Jackson to the mound to get the final out.

After freshman Nick Garagozzo hit an RBI single, Jackson was able to freshman Roberto Gutierrez to fly out and end the game for a Manatees win.

Both Murphy and Walker earned no-decisions in the game. Murphy gave up one run on three hits with two strikeouts in three innings, while Walker gave up seven runs (six earned) on seven hits with one strikeout in five innings.

Gotilla would get his eighth win of the season after giving up nine runs (six earned) on 10 hits with two walks and five strikeouts in five innings of relief. He is now 8-2 on the year.

Cosentino would give up on three runs on two hits with one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning, while Jackson gave up one hit in the final one-third of the ninth.

Kapurch would fall to 0-2 on the year after giving up three runs (one earned) on four hits with one walk in two innings of relief.

Scheu gave up four runs on three hits with one walk in a third of an inning of relief, while Torres gave up one run on one hit with two walks in two-third of an inning and freshman Trey Bacon gave up one hit with two walks and two strikeouts in one scoreless inning.

Five Manatees had at least two hits in the game. Harbison lead the team in hits as he went 3-for-6 with an RBI. Karstetter, who was a home run shy of a cycle, followed going 3-for-4 with an RBI and five runs.

Ayers was the leader in offense as he went 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBI, two runs and three walks, while Long was 2-for-6 with two RBI and two runs. Hall would round out the order going 2-for-5 with an RBI, two runs and a walk.

Fields (1-for-4, two RBI, two runs and a walk), Ismali (1-for-3, two RBI and one walk), Wright (1-for-4, one run and one walk), Cerrone (1-for-3, one run and one stolen base) and Larreal (1-for-2, one run) had the remaining five hits for the Manatees.

Morelos lead all the Titans in hits as he went 5-for-5 with three runs, while Bianco lead the Titans offense overall as he went 3-for-4 with four RBI.

Other Suncoast Scores:

#8 FSW (29-12, 16-3 Suncoast) defeated Hillsborough (15-22, 5-11 Suncoast) 6-3. Both teams play each other Wednesday afternoon, April 6 at 3 pm at George Steinbrenner Field.

Polk State (28-16, 11-7 Suncoast) defeated the Florida Southern College junior varsity team (9-6) 11-6. The Eagles will play the Mocs again Wednesday night, April 6 at 5:30 pm.

Suncoast Standings:

1. #8 FSW (29-12, 16-3)

2. Polk State (28-16, 11-7)

3. SCF (23-18, 8-8)

4. HCC (15-22, 5-11)

5. SPC (14-23, 4-15)

SCF SB Ready for Round 2 of Round Robin

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (22-18, 4-6 Suncoast) will look to put themselves at even in Suncoast Conference play on the road as they travel to Clearwater for the second round of round robin play Saturday morning, April 9. The Manatees will face Hillsborough (12-16, 1-9 Suncoast) at 1 pm and Polk State (13-17, 4-4 Suncoast) at 3 pm.  #3 FSW (31-4, 6-0 Suncoast) and St. Pete (28-16, 6-2 Suncoast) will also be playing in the round robin, but will not play SCF until later dates.

Livestats will be provided by GameChanger, but is unclear if it will air livestream.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of completing their second sweep in Suncoast play as they defeated Hillsborough earlier in the season at home by scores of 4-1 and 2-0 on their sophomore night. They are currently in fourth place behind Polk State.

Air Force Strong:

Sophomore Mya Achenbach has shown off both her speed as well as her contact batting. Achenbach is currently batting .333 with 41 hits, three home runs, 17 RBI and 22 stolen bases. She was 2-for-6 against HCC with five stolen bases.

On a New Role:

A player has been making some noise since conference play is freshman Mikayla DeSantis. DeSantis, who has battled sickness and injuries, is currently batting .324 with 14 hits, a home run and six RBI. In the conference, the Riverview High product is 9-for-27 (.273), which also included hitting her first collegiate home run against Polk State. 

Source of Power:

Freshman Chantel Schurr recently came back to the lineup after dealing with sickness, was 1-for-5 against HCC. Schurr is currently batting .280 with 26 hits, four home runs and 19 RBI.

Classmate Gabi Nicholson has also brought back her power game lately as she is batting .231 with 24 hits, two home runs and 21 RBI. Nicholson was 1-for-4 with an RBI against HCC.

Speed Life:

Aside from Achenbach's speed on the basepaths, sophomore Tori Copeland and freshman Liv Siebert have also shown their speed as of late. Copeland is currently batting .314 with 32 hits, two home runs, 10 RBI and 12 stolen bases, while Siebert is batting .345 with 29 hits, 10 RBI and 19 stolen bases. Against HCC, Copeland was 3-for-6 with a stolen base while Siebert was 1-for-5.

Pitch Away:

Sophomores Remi Hebert and Samantha Hampton remain the most dominant pitchers for the Manatees. Hebert is currently 8-5 on the mound with a 3.09 ERA, 20 walks and 24 strikeouts, while Hampton is currently 9-8 with a 2.65 ERA, 19 walks and 57 strikeouts. Against HCC, both Hebert and Hampton pitched complete games. Hebert gave up one run with three strikeouts, while Hampton threw a four-hit shutout with one strikeout.

New Hybrid:

Sophomore Gracie Mullett has been one of the hybrid players at the plate and on the mound. Mullett is currently batting .262 with 27 hits and team-leading 22 RBI while going 5-5 on the mound with a 2.93 ERA, 18 walks and 36 strikeouts. Against HCC, Mullett did not pitch, but was 1-for-6 with an RBI.

Wildcard Life:

As the wildcard players, sophomore Hannah Murray and freshman Presley O'Kimosh and Rylee Trice are the ones of surprise.

Murray is batting .190 with eight hits, a home run and seven RBI despite going 0-for-2 against HCC.

O'Kimosh has struggled for a while, but is batting .205 with 16 hits, a home run and 10 RBI. She had one RBI against HCC.

Despite going 0-for-4 against HCC, Trice is batting .208 with 10 hits and two RBI.

Five Away:

For head coach Mandy Schuerman, she is only five wins away from surpassing Meredith Headings (240, 2007-14) for second all-time and 14 away from reaching 250 career wins as she earned her 235th and 236th win after sweeping HCC.

Upcoming Recruit:

For next season, one of the recruits joining the Manatees recently is Vanessa Neptune. Neptune, a catcher from New Port Richey, will join for the 2023 season after her completion of graduation from Mitchell High School.

A two-sport athlete, Neptune plays both basketball and softball. As a member of the Mustang girl's basketball team, she averaged 3.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. Her senior year was her best year as she averaged six points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game, while helping them to the semifinals of the FHSAA 6A District 9 Tournament. As far as softball, she is currently batting .286 with 10 hits, one home run and five this season.

Notably, she will follow the footsteps of her older sister Kassidy, a one-time member of the All-Suncoast First Team and Second Team for the Manatees before transferring to Farleigh Dickinson her junior year.

Scouting HCC:

The Hawks fell to the Manatees earlier this season by scores of 4-1 and 2-0. They are currently in last place in conference and are on a nine-game losing streak.

Sophomore Drew Pope leads the team offensively as she is batting .370 with 40 hits, four home runs and 22 RBI. On the basepaths, classmate Jaydah Stroupe is batting .404 with 44 hits, 16 RBI and 13 stolen bases.

On the mound, sophomore Shaniyah Pope is 6-4 with a 3.34 ERA, 16 walks and 37 strikeouts. 

Scouting Polk State:

The Eagles are coming off splitting their last series against St. Pete winning game 6-5 in extra innings before losing game two by a score of 4-3.

Sophomore Stephanie Derringer is batting .441 with 30 hits, five home runs and 22 RBI while going 4-6 on the mound with a 4.33 ERA, 17 walks and 31 strikeouts.

Freshman Kailey Guethle follows Derringer batting .409 with 36 hits, four home runs and 22 RBI while going 6-4 with a 2.06 ERA, 15 walks and 59 strikeouts.

Originally, they were scheduled to face #3 FSW on Saturday, but it was postponed due to rain and will be rescheduled to April 7, prior to playing SCF and HCC.

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. #3 FSW (31-4, 6-0)

2. SPC (28-16, 6-2)

3. Polk (13-17, 4-4)

4. SCF (22-18, 4-6)

5. HCC (12-16, 1-9)