Hutcherson’s Two Homer Game Helps SCF SB to Split

Bradenton, Fla - Sophomore Lauren Hutcherson’s offensive charge in the second game played a key role as the SCF softball team (14-17-1, 7-9 Suncoast) wrapped up their final Suncoast Conference doubleheader at home at the SCF Softball Complex as they split with Hillsborough (8-24, 3-9 Suncoast) losing game one 2-1 before winning game two 9-1 in six innings via mercy rule. With the split, the Manatees are now 29-9 overall against the Hawks and split the overall series at 2-2.

Game One:

Schuerman sent sophomore Samantha Hampton to the mound, while HCC head coach Elizabeth Holloman sent freshman Ashleigh Penix to counter.

The Hawks would score first at the top of the first after an RBI single by sophomore Savannah Jones. The Hawks would then extend the lead to 2-0 after an RBI groundout by freshman Ariana Manzanarez.

The Manatees were then able to avoid being shutout in the bottom of the fifth as freshman Mya Achenbach sent an RBI single to center to bring in sophomore Maddie Koczersut, but it was all they could produce as the Hawks would win the game.

Hampton would fall to 2-6 after giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits with one walk in four and a third. She was also 1-for-3 at the plate.

Sophomore Ally Hulme threw two and two-third scoreless, hitless innings of relief with one walk and six strikeouts.

Penix would earn her first win of the season after throwing a seven-hit complete game, giving up one run with one walk. She is now 1-3 on the season.

Achenbach and sophomore Madi Schaefer each had two hits. Achenbach added a stolen base to go along with the lone RBI.

Koczersut (1-for-3, one run) and sophomore Kiersten Adams (1-for-1) had the remaining two hits.

Game Two:

Hoping to bounce back from the loss, Schuerman sent Hulme back to the mound to start game two while Holloman sent freshman Marisa Mellone to counter.

In a turnaround, the Manatees would score first in the bottom of the first as freshman Remi Herbert sent a one-out solo blast to center for her second home run of the season.

By the bottom of the third, the Manatees then extended their lead further. After freshman Hannah Murrary lead off the inning reaching second on a fielding error and Achenbach hitting a single before stealing second, Hutcherson showed her offense side as she sent a three-run blast to left for her fifth home run of the season to give the Manatees a 4-0 lead. This would signal the end for Mellone as Holloman made a pitching change and sent sophomore Madison Taylor to the mound.

The Hawks would try to respond with their first run of the game at the top of the fourth from an RBI single by Jones, but the Manatees would push back in the bottom of the fifth. After sophomore Carly Bogart lead off the inning with a triple and Herbert drew a walk, Hutcherson would once again show her power game as she sent her second three-run home run of the game to make it 7-1 SCF. It was Hutcherson’s sixth home run of the season.

Murrary would then show power of her own in the bottom of the fifth as she hit a lead-off solo homer for second home run of the season. After Achenbach hit a single and Herbert drew a walk, Hutcherson would seal the mercy rule win as she lined a single to center to bring in Achenbach for the win.

Hulme would earn the win and move to 9-6 on the season after throwing a six-inning one hit complete game, giving up one run with two walks and a career-high 15 strikeouts. Hulme finished with 21 strikeouts combined in both games.

Mellone would fall to 0-4 after giving up four runs (one earned) on three hits with one strikeout in two and two-thirds.

Taylor gave up five runs on five hits with two walks in two and two-thirds innings of relief.

Hutcherson finished 3-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBI. In fact, it was her collegiate multi-home run game.

“I was very happy with my performance in the second game,” said Hutcherson. “I knew I struggled in the first game and had to come back and help my team, so I went up to the plate with an open mind and tried to keep it simple by just saying to myself ‘See ball, hit ball’.”

Achenbach finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two stolen bases. She finished the series 4-for-7 with three stolen bases.

Herbert and Murrary both had a home run and two runs scored each, while Bogart (1-for-3, one run) had the remaining hit.

Jones had the lone hit for the Hawks as she went 1-for-2 with the lone RBI.

Up Next:

The Manatees are back on the road as they travel to Clearwater to take on St. Pete (22-12, 8-2 Suncoast) in a doubleheader rematch Saturday afternoon, April 17 at 1 and 3 pm.

Raging Cajun and Air Force Strong Lead SCF Softball to Sweep

Freshmen Remi Herbert and Mya Achenbach’s offensive games played a strong role in the second series as the SCF softball team (13-14-1, 6-6 Suncoast) were able to finish where they left off as they swept Polk State (4-16, 4-8 Suncoast) in three games by scores of 3-2, 9-5 and 3-0. With the full sweep, the Manatees are now 28-9 against the Eagles.

“Overall, I thought we had some good team wins and that is always a good thing,” said head coach Mandy Schuerman. “Our offense performed when needed and our pitching and defense made some mistakes, but stepped up when needed.”

“I think our energy was up in the beginning when we got here,” said Achenbach. We were all happy, dancing and talking. The energy was up all three games and our hitting and defense was really good.”

“It was definitely a good team win for us and it felt good to get the sweep,” said Hebert. “Our energy is up and we have to reset tomorrow for our next series.”

“It feels like a team win and we actually came together ready for it,” said sophomore Samantha Hampton. “It’s been a long time coming that we finally put it all together and we actually had fun the whole time and played good together.”

“Our team came out wanting to produce and execute,” said sophomore Ally Hulme. “These games are important to us to help make it a possibility to go to states so we made it a goal to win every inning. Our defense was strong throughout the 17 innings, allowing all of our pitchers to pound the zone.”

Game One:

Game one was resumed from a road game with the scored tied 2-2 in the fourth inning.

At the top of the fifth, Achenbach would get the go-ahead run as she sent an RBI single to bring in sophomore Lillian Salazar to make it 3-2 SCF before sealing the deal.

Herbert would have a no-decision after giving up two runs on four hits with one walk and one strikeout in two and a third.

Sophomore Samantha Hampton would get her second win of the season after throwing four and two-thirds scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit with four strikeouts. She is now 2-5 on the season.

“Strategy-wise, depending on where they’re at in the box, we just want to jam them in and work them out,” said Hampton on her pitching. “I feel like having the defense behind me along with the offense really helped me get the win tonight.”

“Sam pitched really well today coming into some tough situations,” said Schuerman on Hampton. “I thought (Kristin) Kopp also through well, but Sam did a great job.”

Freshman Stephanie Derringer would be credited with the loss after throwing a complete game, giving up all three runs on two hits with three walks and five strikeouts. She is now 0-1 on the season.

Achenbach and sophomore Emily Hughes had the Manatees only two hits. Achenbach went 1-for-1 with an RBI and two walks, while Hughes finished 1-for-3 with two RBI.

Sophomore Mallory Gough and freshman Joneshika Novedo each had two hits. Gough had the only multi-RBI game for the Eagles.

Game Two:

For game two, Schuerman sophomore Kristin Kopp to the mound while Polk State head coach Donna Byars sent sophomore Karie Abel to counter.

In the bottom of the first, Achenbach would open the offensive doors for the Manatees first as she towered a lead-off solo home run to left for her second of the season.

“It felt good,” said Achenbach on her home run. “We’ve been working on offense in the cages and in the bullpen, we’ve been tracking a lot, so it felt good to finally show it in the game.”

Following Achenbach’s lead-off homer, Herbert would then follow with a single before Kopp drew a walk and Hughes was hit by a pitch to load the bases, sophomore Kiersten Adams would send a single to center and bring in Hebert. Freshman Gracie Mullett would then bring in Kopp on a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0 SCF.

The Eagles would get their first run on the board as Derringer would send an RBI single to left to bring in freshman Alexis Hollinger, but the Manatees would respond back and extend the lead further. After sophomore Maddie Koczersut was hit by a pitch, Achenbach would lay down a bunt and reach base before rounding all the way home on a Eagle fielding error.

In the bottom of the fourth, Herbert would make a historical moment for herself as the Louisiana native towered a three-run homer to left to bring in Koczersut and sophomore Madi Schaefer to make it 8-1. It was Herbert’s first collegiate home run in her career.

“It definitely felt good getting my first collegiate home run,” said Herbert on her home run. “I was kind of in a slump before tonight and kind of got out of it. It feels good, but I try not to think about it so we can focus for the next series.”

“Remi has been barreling up the ball lately in practice and games, so it was no surprise to see her moment,” said Schuerman on Herbert’s home run.

At the top of the fifth, the Eagles started to creep up on the board from a two-RBI double by Gough, a two-RBI single by sophomore Saddie Stinson and a bases-loaded walk by freshman Tre Eady to make it 8-5, but the Manatee would add one more run off of a suicide squeeze bunt by Hampton that brought in Koczersut before sealing the deal for the win.

Kopp would earn her first win of the season after giving up four runs on five hits with two walks and a strikeout in four and a third

Hampton threw two and a third scoreless innings of relief with one walk.

Abel would be hit with her fourth loss of the season after giving up all eight runs (six earned) on five hits with three walks and one strikeout in three and a third.

Sophomore Sofia Palazini gave up one run on one hit with one walk and two and two-thirds of relief.

Herbert was the only Manatee in game two with a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and a stolen base. She also threw a third of an inning and gave up one run two hits with two walks.

Achenbach finished 1-for-4 with a home run, a stolen base and two runs.

“Just like Remi, Mya has been seeing the ball well the last couple of weeks,” said Schuerman on Achenbach.

Koczersut (1-for-1, one walk and three runs), Schaefer (1-for-2, one walk) and Adams (1-for-3, one RBI) had the remaining three hits.

For the Eagles, Derringer and sophomore Brianna Moffit lead the Eagles both batting 2-for-3. Derringer added an RBI, while Moffit added a walk.

Bough was 1-for-3 with two RBI.

Game Three:

Schuerman decided to send Hulme to the mound, while Byar sent sophomore Lindsey Burns to counter.

It was a pitcher’s duel between Hulme and Burns for the first four innings, but Hulme was more on the upper end as she already was ahead with six strikeouts and a no-hitter in session.

In the bottom of the fourth, Mullett would be the one to finally get the first run on the board for the Manatees as she sent a double left to bring in Hughes for a 1-0 SCF lead.

At the top of the fifth, Hulme would lose the no-hitter as Stinson hit a lead-off single, but she was able to brush it off and breeze through the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Manatees extend their lead. After a lead-off single by freshman Hannah Murray before classmate Marissa Addison came in to pinch run and stole second, sophomore Lauren Hutcherson would send Addison home with a double to center. Herbert would continue her offensive onslaught as she sent a single to left to bring in Hutcherson for a 3-0 SCF lead.

At the top of the sixth, Hulme put herself into a sticky situation after a walk and a fielding error put runners in scoring position, but a strikeout and two big pop outs proved no doubt for the Tampa native to get out of the sixth.

At the top of the seventh, the Eagles tried to get one more gasp of air to get something on the board, but a final fielder’s choice sealed the sweep for the Manatees.

Hulme would get her eighth win of the season after throwing a one-hit shutout with three walks and nine strikeouts. She is now 8-5 on the season.

“I’ve been working hard with trying to be productive on the mound and today showed my hard work is paying off,” said Hulme on her game. “I needed to go out there relaxed and believe in my spins and the rest will play out. Having a defense that is willing to put themselves out there to stop a ball helps me know it’s ok to pound the zone, and if the batter hits it my defense will be there to back up behind me.”

“Ally did a good job pounding the zone,” said Schuerman on Hulme.

Burns would fall to 0-2 after throwing four and two-thirds, giving up all three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts.

Derringer threw one and a third scoreless innings of relief, while giving up two hits.

Herbert and Hughes were each 2-for-3. Herbert added an RBI and finished the three games 4-for-9 with a home run and four RBI, while Hughes added a run scored and 

Achenbach finished 1-for-3 in game three and finished 3-for-8 with a home run.

Hutcherson and Mullet both went 1-for-3 with an RBI, while Kopp and Murrart had the remaining two hits.

Notes:

The first game was resumed from March 18 due to a rain delay. SCF was the away team for that game.

The three wins were Schuerman’s were #209, #210 and #211 in her career as head coach.

Suncoast Standings:

1. #1 FSW (30-3, 13-0)

2. SPC (21-12, 7-2)

3. SCF (13-14-1, 6-6)

4. Polk (4-16, 4-8)

5. SFSC (7-22, 3-9)

6. HCC (7-23, 2-8)

Up Next:

The Manatees will continue conference as they travel to Fort Myers to take on #1 FSW Tuesday, April 13 at 4 and 6 pm.

SCF Softball Takes Game One at Polk State

The SCF softball team (8-10-1, 1-2 Suncoast) were able to secure their first conference win in over a year as they defeated Polk state (2-9, 2-1 Suncoast) 1-0 in game one. The second game was suspended due to the rain with the score tied at 2-2 at the top of the fourth. A makeup day for the second game will be resumed at a late day.

Head coach Mandy Schuerman sent sophomore Ally Hulme to the mound while Polk head coach Donna Byars sent sophomore Sofia Palazini to counter.

For the first three innings, it was a pitcher’s dual between Hulme and Palazini as they both exchanged giving up hits and striking out their opponents.

Eventually at the top of the fourth, the Manatees would get Palazini to buckle as sophomore Samantha Hampton sent an RBI double to left to bring in classmate Emily Hughes to make it 1-0 SCF.

In the end of the first game, Hulme was able to put her game in gear and seal the deal for the Manatees first conference win of the 2021 season.

Hulme would earn the win after throwing a three-hit shutout with four walks and four strikeouts. She is now 6-3 on the year.

Palazini would be dubbed with first loss after giving up one run on five hits with three walks and one strikeout in five innings. Sophomore Karie Abel threw one scoreless inning, giving up one hit with one walk and one strikeout.

Hampton, Hughes, sophomores Lauren Hutcherson and Madi Schaefer and freshman Mya Achenbach and Gracie Mullett each had one of the Manatees six hits.

Up Next:

The Manatees return home for another Suncoast Conference series doubleheader as they welcome #3 Florida Southwestern State (22-3, 3-0 Suncoast) to the SCF Softball Complex Tuesday night, March 23 at 5 and 7 pm.

SCF SB Readies for Conference Opener

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (7-8-1) will turn their sights to their Suncoast Conference opener as they welcome St. Pete College (14-10) to the SCF Softball Complex Tuesday night, March 16 at 5 and 7 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees have not competed since the two-day Courtney Miller Invitational (2/20-21). During the invitational, the Manatees finished 3-1, spliting day one by winning game one against Tallahassee (8-2) and losing game to St. John’s River State (7-5) before sweeping day two by upsetting then #2 Indian River State (now #9) (5-2) and defeating Chipola (6-2).

Initially, the Manatees were supposed to face Santa Fe College in two doubleheaders at home and on the road, but was cancelled due to a positive reading of COVID-19 on their campus. They then tried to set up a alternative series against Pasco-Hernando State as a last minute change, but was to be cancelled due to the conditions of PHSC’s field.

Sophomore Lauren Hutcherson is currently leading the path for the Manatees as she is batting .370 with four home runs and 14 RBI. Inc fact, Hutcherson is the only Manatee with more than 10 RBI. At the invitational, the Lake City native was 8-for-15 with a home run and three RBI.

Classmates Maddie Koczersut, Emily Hughes and Kristin Kopp have also played big roles in the Manatees offense. Koczersut is batting .326 with three home runs and seven RBI, while Hughes is batting .302 with a home run, nine RBI and six stolen bases and Kopp is batting .262 with a home run, eight RBI and five stolen bases.

On the mound, sophomore Ally Hulme and freshman Remi Herbert lead the path.

Hulme is currently 5-3 with a 3.28 ERA and 56 strikeouts (ranks tied for #22 in the nation). Hulme pitched in three of the four games in the invitational where she went 2-0 in 11.1 innings with 17 strikeouts.

Hebert is currently 2-1 with a 5.49 ERA and 21 strikeouts while batting .152 with two RBI. Hebert’s monumental game was the upset win against Indian River State where she threw a complete game with five strikeouts.

Welcome Back Fans:

The SCF athletics department made the decision to allow fans in attendance since it is an outdoor event. SCF students (including student-athletes) and faculty are the only ones allowed entry and only 20 can be in attendance.

Students and staff must provide an SCF ID and arrive no less than five minutes before game, must wear a mask upon entry and social distance in adherence with the CDC guidelines.

Fans that are not a current student or faculty member at SCF are not allowed entry.

In order to attend, SCF students and faculty must signup online to do so.

After the game, all fans must leave the stadium immediately.

Scouting SPC:

The Titans are coming off of being swept by Santa Fe College on the road losing by scores of 6-0 and 3-2.

Freshman Jade Frank leads the team batting .364 with three home runs and 15 RBI.

Sophomore Mya Plant leads the team with 30 hits while batting a .417 with 15 RBI.

On the mound, freshman Shelby Jones is currently 5-2 with a 1.88 ERA and 30 strikeouts while classmate Faith Bruce leads the team with 45 strikeouts while going 2-2 with a 3.66 ERA.

Series History (2012-present):

Overall, the Manatees are 18-11 against the Titans. Last time both teams played was in 2019 where the Manatees swept the Titans winning all four games of the season.

Livestats Link: https://gc.com/t/spring-2021/state-college-of-florida-softball-21-6006ca24bda13e877e4f03dd

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

Signup Link: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10c0945acac2eabf94-316

SCF Softball Wraps Up Invitational With Upset Win

Longwood, Fla - The SCF softball team (7-8-1) wrapped up day two of the Courtney Miller Invitational at the Boombah Sports Complex and finished up 3-1 overall. The Manatees pulled off an upset win over #2 Indian River State (8-2) by a score 5-2 in game one before defeating Chipola (4-10) 6-2. With the wins, the Manatees are now 4-14 against the Pioneers and 1-7 against the Indians.

“We played 27 great innings out of 28,” said Mandy Schuerman. “We played well as a team, which was great to see.”

“We played really well as team,” said sophomore Kristin Kopp. “We took advantage of every opportunity we saw. We kept an upbeat energy no matter what was the score. We came out to play this weekend and it paid off.”

“The team finally came together and played by our motto of the season 'WE' over 'ME',” said sophomore Madi Schaefer. “We stayed hungry the whole weekend and never lost our fight even if it became close. Every girl had each others back and picked one another up no matter what. It was an amazing feeling to know your team has your back no matter what.”

“The team really came out with hunger to win and that’s how we played all weekend,” said sophomore Lauren Hutcherson. “We really played with the mindset WE over ME. everyone on the team played apart in the teams success.”

“We came out this weekend determined win,” said freshman Remi Herbert. “I thought overall as a team we had a really good weekend. This weekend definitely boosted everyone’s confidence. Everyone was up the whole time, energy was good, defense, and offense did their job.

Game One- SCF vs IRS:

For game one, Schuerman sent Herbert to the mound, while IRS head coach Dale Atkinson sent redshirt sophomore Casey Kurent to counter.

The Manatees were listed as the away team as they would get on the board at the top of the first off of a lead-off home run by Hutcherson. It was her fourth home run of the season.

In the bottom of the third, the Pioneers would respond and tie the game as redshirt sophomore Jaden Williamson would hit an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1. The Manatees, however, would respond back at the top of the fourth. After loading the bases with Herbert getting hit by a pitch and back-to-back singles by freshman Gracie Mullett and sophomore Carly Bogart, sophomore Emily Hughes would send a sacrifice fly to right and bring in classmate Lilly Salazar, who came in to pinch run for Herbert, despite it being ruled a double play as Mullett was called out trying to go to third.

The top of the fifth remained in favor for the Manatees beginning with a lead-off double by sophomore Maddie Kozcersut. After Schaefer and freshman Mya Achenbach reached on two straight fielding errors, Hutcherson would send a single to center and bring in Kozcersut. Schaefer would then score on fielding error from the catcher before Achenbach scored on a double play caused by Herbert to make it 5-2 SCF.

The Pioneers would make one more effort to get more on the board in the bottom of the sixth as redshirt sophomore Meghan Branche would send a solo shot to right for her third of the season, but it was all they could produce as the Manatees claimed the upset win.

“Indian River is a great quality team,” said Schuerman on the upset win. “We were able to capitalize on some of their mistakes. We played a very good defensive game and Remi pitched a solid games keeping their hitters’ off balance.”

“It felt great,” said Kopp on upsetting Indian River State. “Now we’re gaining respect on our name.

“This was a great confidence boost for our team,” said Schaefer on the win. “Going into this weekend Coach’s and team’s at the invitational doubted us and thought we would fall to Indian River without a fight. That lit a fire under us and we pushed. We took advantage of every error they made mentally and physically. It was an amazing team win for us and we can’t wait to play Thursday and keep the momentum going.”

Schaefer opened day one of the invitational with her first collegiate home run against Tallahassee.

“It felt amazing,” said Schaefer on her first career home run. “A lot of the times I feel as I may think to much in the box and I approached the pitcher thinking hit the first pitch, and that is what I did. It felt effortless and was amazing rounding the bases with my teammates waiting at the end.”

Herbert would earn her second win of the season after throwing a complete game, giving up two runs on four hits with five strikeouts. Herbert is now 2-2 on the year.

“It felt really good to win against Indians River today,” said Herbert on the win. “I knew the defense had my back the whole time and that they would make plays for me which made me relaxed in the mound. Offense came out swinging hard and scored runs which also took pressure off of me on the mound. It was a great team win today.”

Kurent would be dubbed with the loss after throwing a complete game, giving up all five runs (three earned) on five hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. Kurent is now 1-1 on the year.

Hutcherson had the lone multi-hit and multi-RBI game for the Manatees as she went 2-for-3 with the home run and two RBI.

Mullett, Kozcersut and Bogart had the Manatees remaining three hits.

Williamson was the only Pioneer that had a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Branche (1-for-3, home run) and freshman Nicolette Luzzi-Salern had the remaining two hits for the Pioneers.

Game Two- SCF vs Chipola:

Schuerman decided to go with her ace pitcher as she sent sophomore Ally Hulme to the mound, while Chipola head coach Belinda Hendrix sent freshman Zayla McBurrows to respond.

The Manatees were playing as the home team and would get on the board first in the bottom of the first beginning with a lead-off single by Hutcherson. After Herbert reached on a fielder’s choice before advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch, Hughes would get hit by a pitch to load the bases for sophomore Kristin Kopp. On a 1-1 count, the Tampa native would clear the path with a double and send Hutcherson, Herbert and Hughes home for a 3-0 SCF lead.

The Indians would get on the board at the top of the third from an RBI single by freshman Kayla Hurley to cut the Manatees lead to 3-1.

At the top of the sixth, Hulme was starting to struggle, so Schuerman decided to send sophomore Samantha Hampton to the mound for a relief appearance. The Indians would then get their second run on the board with an RBI single by freshman Kinzie Nelson before Hampton got out of the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Manatees would extend their lead beginning with a lead-off double by Bogart before freshman Marissa Addision came in to pinch run. Hendrix would then make a change as she sent freshman Kyra Ward to the mound.

After Hughes reached first on a fielding error, Kopp would smack a triple to right to bring in Addision and Hughes for a 5-2 lead. Hampton would then draw a walk before Achenbach came in to pinch run. Kopp would then score on drop third strikeout to make it 6-2 SCF before the Manatees claimed the victory.

Hulme would be credited with the win after giving up two runs on six hits with four walks and six strikeouts in five and a third. Hulme is now 5-3 on the year.

Hampton threw one and two-thirds scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit with two strikeouts.

McBurrows would be dubbed with the loss after giving up four runs on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in five innings.

Ward gave up two runs on one hit with two walks and one strikeout in one inning of relief.

Kopp lead the way for game four with the lone multi-hit and multi-RBI game as she went 2-for-2 with five RBI and 4-for-10 in the invitational with six RBI.

Hutcherson went 1-for-4 with a run scored and 9-for-14 with a home run and three RBI.

“I’m happy with the way I performed this weekend,” said Hutcherson on her overall performance. “I tried to tell myself to keep it simple and to have my players backs at all time and to never get down no matter what.”

“Hutch had an excellent weekend on both sides of the ball,” said Schuerman on Hutcherson. “She gave us a solid performance at shortstop and has been a very effective lead off."

Mullett (1-for-3) and Bogart (1-for-3) and the remaining two hits for the Manatees.

Freshman Gabby Bess had the Indians only multi-hit game as she went 2-for-4.

Up Next:

The Manatees will take on Santa Fe College (8-5). They will travel to the Santa Fe Softball Complex in Gainesville first Thursday, February 25 at 1 and 3 pm before returning home to welcome the Lady Saints to the SCF Softball Complex Saturday afternoon, March 6 at 1 and 3 pm.

“You can see us continue to compete against another quality team in Santa Fe,” said Schuerman on facing Santa Fe. “We anticipate needing our whole team including our bench to help us be successful. This weekend proved that we are going to need everyone to be successful.

“As we come into Santa Fe we need to stay aggressive and hungry,” said Schaefer on preparing for Santa Fe. “We are looking to work on getting ahead early on in the game and staying hungry no matter what. It was an amazing team win for us and we can’t wait to play Thursday and keep the momentum going.”

“We are ready to play Santa Fe and to keep the same energy we had this weekend into the double header against Santa Fe,” said Hutcherson on Santa Fe.

“Santa Fe College is a well coached team and competitive but so are we,” said Hebert on Santa Fe. “We will fight till the last out and we expect a good game.”

SCF Finishes Day One of Invitational

Longwood, Fla - The SCF softball team (5-8-1) wrapped up day one of the Courtney Miller Invitational at the Boombah Sports Complex in Longwood in a tough battle as they split the day defeating Tallahassee (2-8) 8-2 in the first game before losing to St. John’s River State (7-3) 7-5 in game two. With the split, the Manatees are now 5-5 against the Eagles and 8-8 against the Vikings.

Game One - SCF vs TCC:

For game one, head coach Mandy Schuerman sent sophomore Ally Hulme to the mound while TCC head coach Patti Townsend sent sophomore Emma Fowler to counter.

After the first two innings went scoreless, the Eagles would score the first run at the top of the third after an RBI single by freshman Emily Mayne, but the Manatees would respond back in the bottom half. After back-to-back singles by sophomores Lauren Hutcherson and Maddie Kozcersut, before moving to scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Grace Mullett, they would both score on a fielding error to make it 2-1 SCF before the inning ended.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Manatees would extend their lead. Sophomore Madi Schaefer would bring the lead to 3-1 on a one-out solo home run. This was Schaefer’s first home run of the season and her first collegiate home run on her career. After back-to-back singles by Hutcherson and freshman Remi Herbert and Kozcersut would reach on a fielding error while Herbert scored to make it 4-1 SCF.

TCC would get their second run at the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Mayne to cut the Manatees lead to two, but the Manatees would respond back in the bottom of the sixth beginning with a lead off solo home run off the bat of sophomore Kristin Kopp for her first of the season. After a single by Herbert and a double by Hutcherson, Mullett would send a sacrifice fly to left to bring in Herbert and move Hutcherson to third. Sophomore Carly Bogart would send a triple to right to bring in Hutcherson before classmate Emily Hughes brought Bogart home on an RBI single before sophomore Samantha Hampton sealed the deal for the win.

Hulme would get her fourth win of theseason after giving up two runs on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings. Hulme is now 4-3 on the year.

Hampton threw two and a third scoreless innings, giving up one hit with three strikeouts. She was also 1-for-3 at the plate.

Fowler would fall to 1-3 on the loss after giving up five runs (two earned) on seven hits with three walks in five innings.

Sophomore Casey Erb gave up three runs on four hits with one strikeout.

Hutcherson and Herbert were the only Manatees with a multi-hit games and each had two runs. Hutcherson lead the way after going 3-for-4, while Herbert went 2-for-3.

Kozcersut, Bogart, Hughes, Schaefer and Kopp each had one hit.

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

Game Two - SCF vs SJR:

For game two, Schuerman sent Herbert to the mound, while SJR head coach Marti Littlefield sent sophomore Syhia Marks to counter.

After the first two innings went scoreless, the Manatees would get on the board first at the top of the third after Mullett bunted into a fielder’s choice to bring in Hutcherson. At the top of the fifth, they would extend their lead. After Kozcersut and Mullett reached on back-to-back fielding errors, Hughes would send a triple to right to bring in two before scoring on a wild pitch to make it 4-0 SCF.

The Vikings would get on the board and take the lead after freshman Emily Stewart was hit by a pitch and sophomore Ashley Kirkbride hit a bases loaded single before classmate Maddie McAllister scored on a passed ball, sophomore Breanna Cefaliello hit another bases loaded single and classmate Brealyn Holly hit a three-run homer to make it 7-4 SJR.

The Manatees would try one more effort as Hutcherson would hit an RBI double to bring in sophomore Kiersten Adams and cut the lead to 7-5, but it was not enough as the Vikings would take the win.

Herbert would be dubbed with the loss after giving up all seven runs on seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings.

Hulme would throw one and a third scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts.

Marks would earn the win after throwing a complete game, giving up all five runs on eight hits with two strikeouts.

Hutcherson and Hughes each had two hits as they both went 2-for-4. Hutcherson added an RBI and a run and finished day one 5-for-7. Hughes added two RBI and a run. 

Kozcersut (1-for-3, one run and one stolen base), Hampton (1-for-4), Adams (1-for-3, one run scored) and Kopp (1-for-3, one stolen base) had the remaining hits.

Cefailiello was the lone Viking with a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run, while Holley had the only multi-RBI game as she went 1-for-1 with the three-run home run.

Up Next:

The Manatees return for day two of the Courtney Miller Invitational as they will face #2 Indian River State (8-1) and Chipola (4-9). The Pioneers were upset by Santa Fe College on day one

SCF SB Splits at JUCO Kickoff

Clearwater, Fla - The SCF softball team (1-1) opened day one of the JUCO Kickoff Classic as they defeated Louisburg College (0-1) 3-2 before falling to St. Johns River (1-0) 6-3 in nine innings. With the wins, the Manatees are now 1-0 against the Hurricanes and 8-7 against the Vikings.

SCF vs Louisburg:

To open the season, Schuerman sent her ace in redshirt freshman Ally Hulme, while Louisburg head coach Eric Lee sent redshirt freshman Ina Womack to counter.

The Manatees would open the floodgates first at the top of the first. After loading the bases, freshman Ava Coticchio would bring in redshirt freshman Lauren Hutcherson with a sacrifice fly for the first run of the game.

Meanwhile on the mound, Hulme, despite walking two batters, pounded the strike zone with six Ks.

At the top of the second, the Manatees would extend their lead beginning with freshman Remi Herbert being hit by a pitch. After redshirt freshman Emily Hughes drew a second, Hutcherson would drive a double to left to bring in Herbert before classmate Carly Bogart was hit by a pitch that brought in classmate Lilly Salazar for a 3-0 SCF lead.

The Hurricanes would finally get on the board in the bottom of the third after taking advantage of a fielding error to score two to cut the deficit to 3-2, yet Hulme stayed composed as she was able to brush off the unearned runs and strikeout three more batters.

At the bottom of the sixth, Schuerman made the decision to pull Hulme and send freshman Gracie Mullett to the mound after Hulme was in a jam with two runners on from two straight walks. While Mullett did load the bases, she was still able to get out of the jam in success before the Manatees sealed the deal for the win.

Hulme would get the win after giving up two runs (both unearned) on one hit with seven walks and 11 strikeouts.

Mullett would get the save after throwing two scoreless innings

Womack would be hit with the loss after giving up three runs on two hits with one walk and one strikeout in one and a third innings.

Freshman Ellen Palya threw 5.2 scoreless inning while walking two batters and striking out 10.

Hutcherson and redshirt freshman Maddie Kozcersut had the Manatees lone two hits, while freshman Abbie Yarboro had the Hurricanes lone hit.

SCF vs SJR:

For game two, Schuerman sent redshirt freshman Kristin Kopp to the mound while Vikings head coach Marti Littlefield sent freshman Macy Kelley to counter.

After a scoreless first inning, the Manatees would get on the board first in the bottom of the second after an RBI single by redshirt freshman Madi Schaefer sent sophomore transfer Kiersten Adams home for a 1-0 lead.

The Vikings would eventually take the lead after an RBI groundout by sophomore Ashley Kirkbride and an RBI double by classmate Bre Cefaliello for a 2-1 St. John’s lead.

By the bottom of the sixth, the Manatees were able to tie the game at 2-2 thanks to an RBI double by Adams before the game went to extra innings with the Texas Tiebreaker rule in effect.

At the top of the eighth, the Vikings would regain the lead after freshman Angie Frias scored on a fielding error, but the Manatees would answer back thanks to an RBI single by redshirt freshman Samantha Hampton made it 3-3.

The top of the ninth proved to be ender for the Manatees as the Vikings were able to regain the lead and add insurance runs thanks to a two-run home run by sophomore Maddie Houtz for the win.

Kopp and Kelley would earn no-decisions for the game. Kopp gave up two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings, while Kelley gave up two runs on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts in six innings.

Hampton would be dubbed with the loss after giving up four runs on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts in four and a third innings, while going 1-for-2 with an RBI.

Sophomore Savannah LePain earned the win after giving up one run on one hit with one strikeout.

Koczersut and Adams were both 2-for-4 with a run scored. Adams added an RBI.

Hutcherson, Herbert, Schaefer and Mullett had the teams remaining hits.

Kirkbride, Houtz, Cefaliello and sophomore Soraya Hernandez each had two hits.

Notes:

This mark the debuts for Coticchio, Adams, Herbert, Mullett and redshirt freshman Ciarra Morales. Adams and Morales joined the Manatees after spending their first season at Palm Beach State before they ended their softball program after 43 years.

The win over Louisburg was Schuerman’s 199th won as head coach for the Manatees. She needs one win to reach 200 careers as head coach.

Other Suncoast Scores:

South Flroida State College (0-4) opened their season at home last Tuesday where they fell to Lake Sumter State by scores of 9-8 and 8-1 before losing at home again to #5 Indian River State by scores of 9-8 and 8-7. The Panthers will be on the road as they face #15 Seminole State.

#1 FSW will open their season with four game Saturday, January 30 against Tallahassee (@8:30 am), Santa Fe (@11 am), Louisburg (@4 pm) and Eastern Florida State (@6:30 pm).
Hillsborough will open their season on the road as they face #3 College of Central Florida in a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon, February 2 at 2 and 4 pm.
Polk State was originally scheduled to open their season at home against the Warner University JV team, but was cancelled. The Eagles will open their season on the second day of the JUCO Kickoff Classic at against a team TBA 1:30 before facing #5 Indian River at 6:30 pm.

Up Next:
The Manatees return for day two of the JUCO Kickoff Classic as they face Eastern Florida State (@11 am) and Georgia Military College (@1:30 pm).

SCF Softball Drops Challenge at CCF

Ocala, Fla - The SCF softball team (4-7-1) dropped two challenging games to #3 Central Florida (10-1) by scores of 14-7 and 12-3 (5). With the losses, the Manatees are now 13-24 against the Patriots.

Game One:

For game one, head coach Mandy Schuerman sent sophomore Ally Hulme to the mound while CCF head coach Mike Lingle sent redshirt freshman Madison Edwards to counter.

The Manatees would get on the board first at the top of the first off the bat of sophomore Carly Bogart as the native of Inverness, Florida hit her first collegiate home run in her career, which turned out to be a grand slam for a 4-0 SCF lead. One inning later, classmate Lauren would send a two-run homer to left for her third of the season.

Soon the Patriots would start to creep up on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second beginning with an RBI singles by freshman Gianna Guerriero and sophomore Caroline Jacquay before scoring three more runs on a fielding error to cut the Manatees to 6-5 before taking the lead 7-6 from a two-run home run by Redshirt sophomore Emily Dixon for her fifth of the season and an RBI by sophomore Chloe Nadler to make it 8-6 CCF.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Patriots would continue you extend their lead to 10-6 from back-to-back RBI doubles by sophomore Odalys Cordova and freshman Kamaya Cohen. The Manatees would get their next run at the top of the fifth from a sacrifice fly by sophomore Emily Hughes to make it 10-7 still in CCF’s favor.

The Patriots would add four more runs to seal game one from a solo home run by Cordova for her fourth, a two-run home run by Guerriero for her third and an RBI single by sophomore Abbey O’Connor.

Hulme would be dubbed with the loss after giving up 10 runs (seven earned) on 11 hits with one walk and one strikeout in three and a third. Hulme is now 3-3 on the year.

Freshman Remi Herbert gave up four runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in two and two-thirds.

Edwards would earn her fifth win of the season after throwing a complete game, giving up all seven runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

Hutcherson and freshman Gracie Mullett each had two hits. Hutcherson had two RBI and a walk, while Mullett added a run. Bogart was the only Manatee with a multi-RBI game as she finished 1-for-4 with four RBI.

Sophomores Lilly Salazar and Kristin Kopp had the remaining two hits.

Cohen and O’Connor had three hits each, while Cordova, Guerriero, Dixon and Nadler each had two.

Game Two:

For game two, Schuerman sent Mullett to the mound, while Lingle sent freshman Amy Kennedy to counter.

The Manatees would score first at the top of the first thanks to a solo home run by sophomore Maddie Kozcersut for her third home run of the season, but the Patriots would respond back in the bottom half of the first with another two-run homer by Cordova for her fifth of the season and a solo shot by Guerriero for her fourth. One inning later, the Patriots would get two more runs from back-to-back singles by Jacquay and sophomore Glory Thompson.

The Manatees would get their second run of the game at the top of the third from an RBI double by Mullett, but the Patriots would respond with six more runs in the bottom half.

The Manatees would get one more run on the board at the top of the fourth from a solo home run by Bogart for her second of the season and of the series, but it was all they could produce as the Patriots added their final in the bottom half of the inning to seal the eight-run mercy rule in effect.

Mullett would earn the loss after giving up five runs on six hits with one strikeout in one and two-thirds. She was also 1-for-3 with an RBI. Mullett is now 0-2 on the year.

Kopp gave up seven runs (five earned) four hits with one walk in two and a third innings of relief.

Kennedy would earn her third win of the season after throwing four innings, giving up three runs on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Freshman Sophie Abrams threw one scoreless inning of relief.

Kozcersut had the only multi-hit game for the Manatees in game two as she finished 2-for-3 with the home run.

Bogart had the remaining hit as she went 1-for-2 with a home run. She finished 2-for-6 with two home runs and five RBI.

Jacquay, Thompson, and Guerriero had two hits each.

Up Next:

The Manatees will remain on the road as they head to neutral grounds with the two-day Courtney Miller Invitational at Boombah Soldiers Creek in Longwood 2/20-21). The Manatees will face Tallahassee (2-4), St John’s River (4-2), #2 Indian River State (7-0) and Chipola (4-7).

SCF Softball Set for Challenge with CCF

The SCF softball team (4-5-1) will look to get on the winning side of their record as they travel to Ocala to take on #2 College of Central Florida (8-1) Tuesday afternoon, February 16 at 2 and 4 pm at the CF Softball Complex.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of their first home sweep as they defeated Miami Dade 10-2 and 8-0 via mercy rule. Additionally it was their first home wins of the season.

Hulme on Fire:

On the mound, sophomore Ally Hulme comes in with a 3-2 record with a 2.28 ERA and 38 strikeouts. In her last outing, Hulme pitched a two-hit five inning shutout win against Miami Dade with 10 strikeouts.

Say Hey Maddie K:

Sophomore Maddie Kozcersut is the main powerhouse bats on offense as she is batting .345 with two home runs and six RBI. Kozcersut had one of her best offensive outings against MDC as she went 4-for-6 with four RBI.

Starsky and Hutcherson:

For sophomore Lauren Hutcherson, she is batting .303 with two home runs and and team-leading nine RBI. Hutcherson was 3-for-6 with four RBI.

Sophomore Emily Hughes and freshman Gracie Mullett have also played key roles at the plate. Hughes is batting .400 with a home run, four RBI  and five stolen bases, while Mullett is batting .346 with five RBI. Hughes was 2-for-5 with two RBI and a stolen base against MDC, while Mullett was 3-for-5 with three runs and a stolen base.

Following Hulme on the mound is freshman Remi Herbert. Herbert is currently 1-1-1 with a 5.80 ERA and 12 strikeouts while batting .167 with one RBI. In the series against MDC, Herbert earned her first win of the season after throwing a five inning complete game with one strikeout. She was also 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Scouting Central Florida:

The Patriots,  are coming off of an split against Hillsborough, winning game one 11-1 (5) before losing game two 11-10 in walk-off fashion. It was their lone of the season so far.

Redshirt sophomore Emily Dixon is batting .467 with a team-leading four home runs and 11 RBI, while classmate Odalys Cordova lead the Patriots offensively overall with a .586 batting average, three home runs and 21 RBI. Both Dixon and Cordova are the only Patriots with double-digits RBI.

Redshirt sophomore Isabella Pinto is leading the basepaths with 11 stolen bases while batting .556 with seven RBI.

On the mound, redshirt freshman Madison Edwards is 4-1 with a 0.60 ERA and 29 strikeouts.

Series History:

The Manatees are 13-22 against the Patriots. Last season, the Patriots won all three matchups. The Manatees’ last win over the Patriots was on April 25, 2019 where they won 10-6.

Livestats will be up to see the game via GameChanger.

Link: go.com/t/spring-2021/state-College-of-florida-softball

SCF Softball Sweep Miami Dade

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (4-5-1) pulled away with their first sweep of the season as they defeated Miami Dade (4-8) by scores of 10-2 and 8-0 at the SCF Softball Complex. Both games ended via the eight-run mercy rule. With the sweep, the Manatees are now 15-10 against the Sharks (2012-present).

“It felt good to play two complete games where we pitched, hit, and played defense well,” said head coach Mandy Schuerman. “Very happy to get both wins. We are making steps in the right direction by performing well in all facets of the game.”

“Our energy as a team was at an all-time high,” said sophomore Ally Hulme. “Every inning, we went out there to win. Pitching, defense and hitting all had each other’s backs and executed in every way. We keep the momentum of game one rolling into game two and that helped us cut both games short.”

“I think we played really well today,” said sophomore Maddie Kozcersut. “We worked a lot better as a team together in our hitting, which lately has been off and it really came out tonight. We didn’t get down on ourselves and kept rallying. I thought our pitchers did really good, Ally pitched really good and our defense backed them up when they did hit.”

I’m glad we got the two wins today because we really needed them,” said sophomore Lauren Hutcherson. “We played as a team today, our hitting was a lot better than our past games. We’re really stepping it up and getting better and better every game and every practice, so it was a good win for us.”

For game one, Schuerman sent freshman Remi Herbert to the mound, while Miami Dade head coach Gina De Aguero sent freshman Brunella Beteta Vilchez to respond.

At the top of of the first, the Sharks would a 2-0 lead from a two-run home run by freshman Melissa Leon.

After being held scoreless in the bottom half, the Manatees would awaken from their slumber beginning with back-to-back singles by sophomore Kristin Kopp and freshman Gracie Mullett. After Herbert reached first on a fielder’s choice to load the bases, sophomore Madi Schaefer would draw a bases loaded walk to bring in Kopp for the Manatees first run of the game. Classmate Lilly Salazar would then slap a single to right and bring in Mullett to tie the game at 2-2 until Hutcherson sent Herbert home with a single to center to give the Manatees a 3-2 lead. The onslaught continued for the Manatees as Kozcersut would send a double to center to bring in Schaefer and Salazar before Hutcherson scored on a passed ball to make it 6-2 SCF.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Manatees decided it was time to seal the deal. After back-to-back singles by Mullett and Herbert before sophomore Carly Bogart sent a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to scoring position, Schaefer would draw another walk to load the bases. After Salazar flew out for the second out, Hutcherson would send a hard single to right to bring in Mullett and Herbert before Kozcersut sent the game-winning double on the first pitch to center to bring in Schaefer and Hutcherson for the win.

“Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking about the mercy run rule, all I was thinking was hit the pitch in the at-bat,” said Kozcersut on the game-winner. “The run rule wasn’t even going through my head, it was just ‘see the ball, hit the ball’ and that’s what I did and brought in the runs that we needed to score.”

Herbert would earn her first collegiate win of the season after throwing a five inning complete game, giving up two runs on four hits with three walks and one strikeout. She also went 1-for-3 at the plate with two runs. Herbert is now 1-1 on the year. 

Beteta Vilchez would be dubbed with the loss after giving all 10 runs (nine earned) on 12 hits with two walks and three in four and two-thirds. She was 2-for-2 at the plate.

Kozcersut, Hutcherson and Mullett all had multi-hit games. Kozcersut was 3-for-4 with four RBI, while Hutcherson was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs and Mullett was a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs.

“It felt good to be able to help the team out in runs and have some RBIs,” said Hutcherson on her game. “I did struggle in the second game a little bit, but we all came together and all of our hits mattered in the end.”

Kopp (1-for-3, one run scored), Schaefer (1-for-1, one RBI, two walks and two runs scored) and Salazar (1-for-3, one RBI and one run scored) had the Manatees’ remaining hits.

Leon had the Sharks remaining two hits as she finished 2-for-3 with a home run.

Game Two:

For game two, Schuerman sent sophomore Ally Hulme to the mound while De Aguero sent sophomore Haley Duncan to counter.

After a scoreless first inning, the Manatees would get on the board first in the bottom of the second after sophomore Emily Hughes hit a leadoff double, stole third base and scored on a throwing error, but the bottom of the fourth was the Manatees’ moment yet again. After Kopp drew a leadoff walk and Herbert hit an infield single, Hughes would bring her bat in yet again as she sent a single to center to bring in Kopp. Bogart would then bring in Herbert on a hard ground ball hit while reaching on a fielding error to make it 3-0 SCF.

The Manatees would then take advantage of a throwing error as Bogart stole second and Hughes scored on the error. This would set up a pitching change as De Aguero sent sophomore Andrea Sotelo to the mound.

After sophomore Ciarra Morales hit a hard infield single that sent Bogart to third, the third baseman, sophomore Tara Melassi, was then replaced by classmate Nicole Gonzalez after an injury.

Speed became the Manatees’ friend as Bogart and Morales would do a double steal with Bogart scoring to make it 5-0 SCF. After Mullett drew a walk and Kozcersut was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Hutcherson would send a single to center and bring in Morales before Herbert and Hughes drew back-to-back bases loaded walks to make it 8-0 SCF.

From there, despite giving up a one-out double, Hulme was able to seal the deal with three strikeouts and claim the mercy rule win.

Hulme would earned the win after a two-hit five inning shutout with 10 strikeouts. She is now 3-2 on the year.

“I went out of the mound wanting to dominate and wanted the ball in my hand,” said Hulme on her shutout. “My goal was to cut my pitch count down and get ahead on the batters. I wanted to cut the time my defense had on the field so our hitters could attack. The energy on the field keep my pace going fast and helped me execute against the batters. Games like that are fun to be on the mound and be a leader for my team.”

Duncan would be credited with the loss after giving up five runs (three earned) on three hits with three walks and one strikeout in three and a third innings.

Sotelo gave up three runs on two hits with three walks in two-thirds of an inning of relief.

Hughes was the only Manatee with a multi-hit and multi-RBI game as she finished 2-for-2 with two RBI, two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base.

Kozcersut and Hutcherson were both 1-for-2. Kozcersut added a run scored, while Hutcherson added an RBI. Kozcersut finished the series 4-for-6 with four RBI, while Hutcherson finished 3-for-6 with four RBI.

Hebert (one RBI, one run and one walk) and Morales (one run and two stolen bases) finished 1-for-2 each.

“We are continuing to see different players offensively step up during our wins and our pitching has been pretty solid throughout the season,” said Schuerman on her team.

Sophomore Amanda Mason and Gonzalez had the Sharks lone two hits.

Other Suncoast Scores:

Hillsborough (1-7) fell in a doubleheader to #3 Indian River State (7-0) 11-3 (6) and 6-3.

Polk State (0-6) dropped a doubleheader to #6 Seminole State College of Florida by scores of 6-5 and 11-3 (6).

#1 Florida Southwestern (6-0) was forced to cancel their series with the Florida National University JV team.

St. Pete (5-3) split a doubleheader with St. John’s River State (4-2) this past Tuesday losing game one 5-3 before winning game two 8-0 (5).

South Florida State College (0-7) dropped a doubleheader to Pasco-Hernando State (5-5) Thursday by scores of 5-1 and 11-3 (5).

Upcoming Weekly Suncoast Games:

February 13-

HCC vs MDC: 12 and 2 pm.

Polk State vs Lake Sumter State: 1 and 3 pm.

February 15-

#1 FSW @ Keiser JV: 12 and 2 pm

February 16-

SFSC @ Lake Sumter State: 4 and 6 pm

SPC vs PHSC: 4 and 6 pm

February 18-

Polk State @ IRSC: 2 and 4 pm

February 19-

SFSC vs Ave Maria JV: 5 and 7 pm

Up Next:

The Manatees return to action on the road Tuesday as they travel to Ocala to take on #2 College of Central Florida (8-1) Tuesday afternoon, February 16 at 2 and 4 pm before traveling to Sanford to participate in the two-day Courtney Miller Invitational, hosted by Seminole State College (2/20-21). They will face Tallahassee, St. John’s River, #3 Indian River State and Chipola.

SCF SB set for Home Opener

Bradenton, Fla - After being on neutral grounds to start the season, the SCF softball team (1-3) is set for their home opener as they welcome #15 Seminole State College of Florida (3-0) to the SCF Softball Complex for a doubleheader Thursday, February 4 at 4 and 6 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees opened their season on neutral grounds as they competed in the traditional two-day JUCO Kickoff Classic this past weekend. They would split day one defeating Louisburg College 3-2 and fall to St. John’s River State 6-3 in nine innings before losing to Eastern Florida State 7-2 and Georgia Military College 5-2 on day two.

Redshirt freshmen Emily Hughes and Lauren Hutcherson lead the team in hits with four each with Hutcherson adding a home run and two RBI.

Redshirt freshman Ally Hulme is leading the way going 1-1 with a 3.94 ERA and 15 strikeouts.

Debuts:

The Manatees debuted seven players on the team: Ava Coticchio, Marissa Addision, Gracie Mullett, Remi Herbert, Hannah Murrary, Kiersten Adams and Ciarra Morales. Adams and Morales, both sophomores, joined the team after transferring from Palm Beach State due to their softball program being cut after 43 years.

One from 200:

For head coach Mandy Schuerman, who enters her seventh season as head coach, is hoping to reach her newest milestone as she aims for her 200th career win as head coach for the Manatees. Schuerman is only one win away from reaching the milestone.

Dates of Wins:

First Win: January 30, 2015 vs Illinois Central (@ JUCO Kickoff Classic)

100th win: January 27, 2018 vs Lake Sumter State (@ JUCO Kickoff Classic)

150th win: March 2, 2019 vs CCF ( @ home)

Scouting Seminole State:

The Raiders, who were ranked #15 in the NJCAA Top 20 Preseason Poll, opened their season at the JUCO Kickoff Classic where they defeated Georgia Military College (3-2), Miami Dade (1-0) and St. Pete (10-2, five innings).

The Raiders are lead by Courtney Miller, who enters her 26th season and is on pace of a milestone of her own as she is only three wins away from reaching 1,000 in her career with the team.

Sophomore Liz Cutlip leads the Raiders as she is batting .667 with 10 hits, two home runs and three RBI. Redshirt freshman Shelby Williams is batting .600 with eight RBI.

On the mound, all three pitchers, sophomore Jenae Fedewa and freshmen Taylor Thomas and Jada Oleski, have won a game with Oleski leading the path with eight strikeouts.

Series History (2012-present):

Overall the Manatees are 7-15 against the Raiders. Last time both teams met, the Raiders, who were ranked #10 last season, swept the Manatees 2-0 and 6-4 at Seminole State.

The Manatees last win over the Raiders was February 3, 2018 where they won 4-2.

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be provided by GameChanger and will likely air on the SCF Sports Network. Fans can also keep up with both teams on Twitter.

SCF: @SCFSoftball

Seminole: @SeminoleStateSB

Livestats Link: gc.com/t/spring-2021/state-College-of-florida-softball

Livestream Link: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/

Schuerman Celebrates 200 Wins!!!

Babson Park, Fla - Head coach Mandy Schuerman was able to finally breathe a sigh of gratitude on the road as the SCF softball team (2-5-1) pulled off a good series over the Webber International University Junior Varsity Team at Nancy Nichols Field in Babson Park, winning game one 5-1 before ending game two in a 6-6 tie.

“We were learning to compete and growing in our knowledge of the game,” said Schuerman. “That was really good for us to see.”

“I think we worked well as a team and were able to get timely hits and make plays in the field,” said sophomore Emily Hughes. “Our hitting came alive and the pitching really stuck through until the end. I believe we competed with them and would have pulled through with two wins if we weren’t cut short in our second game.

Game One:

Schuerman sent sophomore Ally Hulme to the mound, while Webber head coach Kristy Burton sent freshman Kayla Swinson to counter.

After a scoreless first, the Manatees would get on the board first at the top of the second. After back-to-back singles by Hughes and freshman Gracie Mullett, sophomore Samantha Hampton would bring the first run in with a single to left to bring in Hughes. After sophomore Madi Schaefer drew a walk to load the bases, classmate Lillian Salazar would send a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Mullett to make it 2-0 SCF before the end of the inning.

At the top of the third, Hampton would extend the Manatees lead to 3-0 with another RBI single to center to bring in sophomore Kristin Kopp before the end of the inning.

Two innings later, it would be Hughes time to shine as the local product of Lakewood Ranch product would send a two-run homer to left to make it 5-0 SCF. This was her second home run of the season.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Lady Warriors would finally get on the board after an RBI groundout by junior Morgan Mills, but it was all they could produce as the Manatees took their second win.

Hulme would earn her second win of the season after a throwing a one-hit complete game, giving up one run with six walks and 10 strikeouts.

“Ally continues to work on keeping her pitch counts lower and pound the zone,” said Schuerman on Hulme. “Overall, we were happy with performance whether it’s a win or loss.”

Swinson would get the loss after giving up three runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in four innings.

Mills gave up two runs on two hits with six walks and two strikeouts in two innings of relief.

Hughes and Hampton would be the heroes of game one as they both finished with two hits and two RBI each. Hughes (2-for-2) added two walks and two stolen bases, while Hampton (2-for-3) added a walk and a steal.

Mullett (1-for-4, one run scored), Kopp (1-for-2, two runs scored, two walks and a stolen base) and sophomores Maddie Koczersut (1-for-4, one stolen base) and Carly Bogart (1-for-4, one stolen base) had the Manatees remaining hits.

Senior Aja Eglton had the Warriors lone hit, while Mills had the lone RBI.

Game Two:

Schuerman decided to send freshman Remi Herbert to the mound while Burton sent grad student Dariyen Moss to counter.

Once again, the Manatees would get on the board first at the top of the second, beginning with a leadoff walk by sophomore Kiersten Adams, before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Ava Coticchio and advancing to third on a Mullett fielder’s choice. As Herbert was up to the plate, Adams was able to take advantage of a fielding error and score the first run before Herbert drew a walk. After Salazar struck out, sophomore Lauren Hutcherson would send a hard single to left and bring in Mullett for a 2-0 SCF lead.

The Warriors would get on the board in the bottom half after an RBI single by junior Katey Sanders to cut the deficit to 2-1 still in favor of SCF.

At the top of the third, the Manatees decided to extend the lead. After back-to-back singles by Hughes and Adams, Mullett would send a first pitch double to left and bring in Hughes and Adams while advancing to third to make it 4-1 SCF. After a Herbert walk, Salazar would pulll a suicide squeeze bunt attempt that turned into a RBI single to bring in Mullett before Burton made a change and sent freshman Jenna Chaudion to the mound for a relief appearance to get out of the inning.

In the bottom of the third, the Warriors would get their second run of the game thanks to an RBI double by junior Krista Hoyt to make it 5-2 still in SCF’s favor. Herbert was still able to get out of the inning while being in a situation with runners in scoring position.

The Warriors would then take advantage of a couple of fielding errors as they scored their third and fourth runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth to make it 5-4 still SCF. Schuerman decided to make a pitching change and send Kopp to the mound, while sending Adams from catcher to first base and send freshman Hannah Murrary behind the plate to catch.

The Warriors would eventually take the lead in the bottom of the sixth after a two-RBI double by junior Abigail Thompson made 6-5 in favor of Webber, but at the top of the sixth, Adams would tie the game at 6-6 by sending Hughes home with a sacrifice fly before the game ended in a tie due to the end of daylight and the stadium having no lights to continue the game.

Neither Herbert nor Moss got a decision. Herbert threw three and a third innings, giving up all six runs (four earned) on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts, while Moss gave up five runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts in two and two-thirds innings.

Kopp and Chaudion also got no-decisions from their relief appearance. Kopp threw two and two-thirds scorless innings, giving up one hit and striking out one batter, while Chaudion gave up one run on one hit with four walks and one strikeout in three and a third innings.

Hughes was the only Manatee with a multi-hit game as she finished 2-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base. She finished the series 4-for-5 with two RBI, four runs and three stolen bases.

Mullett had the only multi-RBI game for game two as she finished 1-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Hutcherson (1-for-4, one RBI and two walks), Salazar (1-for-2, one RBI and one walk) and Adams (1-for-2, two walks, one RBI and two runs) had the Manatees remaining three hits.

Thompson and Sanders each had two hits and at least one RBI. 

Notes:

The main story was on Schuerman as she reached the milestone of 200 career wins as the head coach for the SCF softball team. Schuerman has been the head coach for the Manatees since 2014.

“200 wins doesn’t celebrate me, it celebrates the program and all the past players that been the real reason those wins take place,” said Schuerman on her 200th win. “We also wouldn’t be there where we are as a program without Michelle Puls, Tony Cummings and DJ Bennett helping me out and they’re just as important to the team. I’m just a small piece of a very big puzzle.”

“I’m happy to apart of it,” said Hughes on Schuerman’s 200th win milestone. “I’m super excited to continue to be apart of it and hit her next milestone to 300.

Up Next:

The Manatees return home to the SCF Softball Complex as they welcome Miami Dade (2-4) Friday night, February 12 at 4 and 6 pm.

SCF Softball Set for JUCO Kickoff

Bradenton, FL - The SCF softball team is looking forward to the 2021 season as they open their season on neutral grounds with the traditional two-day JUCO Kickoff Classic at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater (1/29-30). The Manatees will face Louisburg College Friday morning at 10 am for the first game before playing against Eastern Florida State Saturday at 11 am and Georgia Military College at 1:30 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees finished last season 20-12 before the pandemic officially ended their season. They did not play any games for Suncoast Conference play.

Meet the Team:

The Manatees are led by head coach Mandy Schuerman. Schuerman enters her seventh season as head coach for the team.

A former Gator that won the SEC Co-Freshman of the Year (2002), she comes in looking for her 200th career win as head softball coach for the Manatees.

Schuerman is joined by longtime assistant coach Michelle Puls (10th season) and associate head coach Tony Cummins.

Key Losses and Gains:

The team will be without six players: Madi LoCastro, Ashlee Zientek, Makayla Benavidez and Madelyn Graham. Zientek (Ursuline: NCAA DII) and Graham (Barry: NCAA DII) have decided to continue playing their final two years of softball at the next collegiate level.

As far as returners, the Manatees bring back nine returners from both at the plate and on the mound: Maddie Koczersut, Kristin Kopp, Emily Hughes, Lilly Salazar, Lauren Hutcherson, Carly Bogart, Madi Schaefer, Ally Hulme and Samantha Hampton.

Primarily one of two powerhouses batters, Koczersut lead the team offensively batting .373 with  four home runs, 23 RBI and 16 walks last season. 

Kopp finished her freshman campaign batting .270 with three home runs and 22 RBI. She also pitched in one game where she went 1-0 with a 10.50 ERA and three strikeouts.

A predominant contact hitter, Hughes finished her first season batting .271 with three home runs and 15 RBI.

Mainly the speedster, Salazar finished her first season batting .341 with five RBI and 11 stolen bases.

Hutcherson enters her redshirt freshman year after completing her first season where she batted .371 with a home run and 17 RBI.

Bogart, catcher/infielder, finished her freshman campaign batting .238 with five hits and a stolen base.

Schaefer, a primary catcher, finished her freshman campaign batting .257 with seven RBI and a .990 fielding percentage.

Hulme, who is the primary ace for the team, finished her freshman campaign going 7-3 with a 3.97 ERA and 45 strikeouts.

Hampton, a hybrid player, finished her first season going 4-3 with a 4.65 ERA, one save and 17 strikeouts while batting .209 with 10 RBI.

New Bloods:

Schumerman was able to land nine newcomers to the team, which includes two transfers.

Ava Coticchio:

Coticchio, an infielder, joins the Manatees after graduating from East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs.

As a member of the Eagles, Coticchio helped lead them to two straight appearances in the FHSAA 8A State Tournament. Her junior year lead them to as the regional finals of the tournament before being eliminated.

In her career, she finished with a .306 batting average with 18 RBI and a .815 fielding percentage.

Her senior year was on target of her most productive year, batting .400 with 12 hits, seven RBI and a .781 fielding percentage before the Covid-19 pandemic hit and ended her senior season.

Marissa Addison:

A local product from Lakewood Ranch HS, Addison, an outfielder, joins the Manatees and reunites with her former high school teammates in Koczersut, Hughes and Schaefer.

Playing two seasons of varsity (sophomore and senior season) and one season at the junior varsity level for the Mustangs, Addison was a strong part of the 2018 season with Hughes, Koczersut and Schaefer as well as former Manatees Kailey Christian and Madi LoCastro where the team went as far as the state semifinals in the FHSAA 8A State Tournament where they produced a 24-5 overall record with a 5-1 record in 8A District 8 League Standings. Primarily, she was used as a pinch runner and a fielding substitute.

Addison played the 2019 season on junior varsity where she batted .357 with seven RBI in 11 games before returning to varsity for her senior year where the Mustangs finished 8-0 and were ranked No. in the state and No. 3 in the nation before the pandemic occurred.

Gracie Mullett:

Mullett, an outfielder/pitcher, is another local product that joins the Manatees after graduating from Sarasota Christian High School.

Mullett was a three-sport athlete for the Blazers where she played volleyball, soccer and softball.

As a member of the varsity soccer team, she played as a goalkeeper and a striker. Mullett had 276 career saves and scored three career goals with her freshman year being her most productive stat wise with 176 saves.

For her junior year, Mullett joined the volleyball team where they went 18-9 overall with a 5-0 league record in the FHSAA 3A District 5 standings, while reaching the regional semifinals of the FHSAA 3A State Tournament. She finished with 16 digs and nine aces.

As a softball player, Mullett played all four years at the varsity level where she finished her career with a .591 career batting average, 75 hits, five home runs, 38 RBI and 20 stolen bases at the plate while on the mound she had a 25-8 overall record with a 1.71 ERA and 370 career strikeouts. Additionally, she helped the Blazers to three straight playoff appearances before the pandemic ended her high school career.

As a pitcher, her sophomore year was the most productive as she had a 10-6 record with a 1.77 ERA and 147 strikeouts while also batting .542 with four home runs and 13 RBI. 

Remi Herbert:

Herbert, an outfielder, joins the Manatees after graduating from John Curtis Christian High School in River Ridge, Louisiana and is the first softball player from Louisiana to join the Manatees and one of the first softball players from another state to join the since Paige Aldred from Iowa (2018).

A two-sport athlete playing both volleyball and softball, Herbert played all four years of helped lead the Patriots to two straight playoff appearances in the LHSAA 5A State Tournament, which included winning the Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Softball State Tournament in 2018.

As a volleyball player, Herbert played three years at the varsity level as an outsider hitter/setter where she had 438 kills, 720 digs and 130 aces in her three season with the Patriots and even lead them to two straight quarterfinals appearances in the LHSAA Division Four State Tournament.

Mya Achenbach:

Achenbach, an outfielder and the second out of state player to join, joins the Manatees after graduating from Williams’s Valley High School in Tower City, Pennsylvania. Achenbach is the first player from Pennsylvania to join the team. Additionally, she is also an active member of the United States Air Force.

A two-sport athlete playing both basketball and softball for the Vikings, she played for one season with the basketball team before focusing on softball for the next two years.

As a member of the softball team, Achenbach played her previous two seasons on varsity where she finished her career with 10 home runs, 67 RBI, 80 runs scored and 39 stolen bases.

In the wake of the previous seasons, Achenbach helped lead the Vikings to the PIAA 1A State Tournament twice, getting a runner-up finish in the first one before winning the second time.

Alli Bloski:

Another local product, Bloski, an outfielder/third baseman, joins after graduating from Braden River High School.

During the 2019 season, Bloski helped the Pirates to a 15-11 overall record with a 8-0 record in the FHSAA 7A District 9 League Standings where they would make it to the regional semifinals of the FHSAA 7A State Tournament. During her campaign, she finished with a .182 batting average and four runs scored.

Hannah Murray:

Murray, an infielder/catcher, joins the team from Lafayette High School in Mayo, Fla.

Playing all four years at the varsity level, Murray put together 88 career games played for the Hornets where she batted .240 with two home runs, 43 RBI and 33 runs scored.

During her junior year, Murray helped the Hornets reach the state semifinals of the FHSAA 1A State Tournament before falling and the pandemic ended her high school softball career.

^Kiersten Adams:

Adams, an infielder/catcher, joins the Manatees as a transfer from Palm Beach State College. She will have one year of eligibility remaining with a possible second year due to the pandemic.

As a member of the Panthers, Adams finished her lone freshman campaign batting .375 with a home run, 15 RBI and two stolen bases before the pandemic ended the season.

Prior to PBSC, Adams played for Winter Springs High School in Winter Springs, Fla.

As a member of the Bears for the last two seasons, Adams putting together batting average of .290 with two home runs, 17 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 22 runs scored.

While her junior proved to be her best year stat-wise, batting .348 with two home runs, eight RBI, nine stolen bases and 11 runs scored, her senior year was actually her best overall year as she helped lead the bears to a perfect, unblemished 31-0 record with a 9-0 league

record in the FHSAA 8A State Tournament where they defeated Lakewood Ranch in the Championship game, the same team that her current teammates, Koczersut, Hughes, Schaefer and Addison played for.

^Ciarra Morales:

Joining her fellow teammate Adams, Morales, a outfielder/pitcher, joins as a transfer from Palm Beach Statewith one year of eligibility remaining and a possible second year due to the pandemic.

For her lone freshman season, Morales finished with a .277 batting average with a home run, 19 RBI and two stolen bases before the pandemic ended the season.

Prior to PBSC, Morales played for Winter Haven High School in Winter Haven, Fla where she was two-sport athlete playing volleyball and softball.

As a member of the Blue Devils volleyball team, Morales played as a defensive specialist where she finished with 109 digs and five aces.

In the last two seasons with the Blue Devils softball season, Morales finished with a.284 career batting average, 20 RBI, 23 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.

^side note: Both Adams and Morales transferred after Palm Beach State dropped their softball program after 43 years and being replaced with women’s soccer due to it’s popularity in the Palm Beach area.

The Panthers finished their final season 5-24 overall with a 3-6 record in the Southern Conference.

Scouting Louisburg:

Louisburg College is a private college located in Louisburg, NC and are a part of NJCAA DII Region 10 (Carolina Junior College Conference).

The Hurricanes are lead by head coach Eric Lee, who enters his fourth season as head coach for the team.

Last season, the Hurricanes finished 16-1 overall with a 5-0 in the CJCC before the pandemic hit.

They will be without one of their two top bats in Sammi-Jo Loney and their leader in stolen bases in Alexis Howard, who had 11 stolen bases.

Redshirt sophomore Haleigh Joyner returns to the team as the returning powerhouse batter. Joyner finished her previous season batting .640 with three home runs and 16 RBI.

Meanwhile, Lee was also able to bring back two of his best pitchers in Hailey Tomlinson and Ina Womack as they both combined for 15 of their 16 wins.

Scouting EFSC: 
The Titans are coming off of finishing last season 22-10 overall with an 8-1 record in the Southern Conference. They are led by head coach Jim Beitia, who enters his fourth season as head coach. Beitia lead the Titans to two 30-win seasons in his first two season as head coach.

The team lost a majority of their team as 13 sophomores have graduated and/or transferred to other schools.

Key returners for the Titans include Madison Neuhaus, one of two powerhouse batters that returned. Neuhaus batted .333 with eight home runs and 35 RBI.

Gabriella Garcia is the other returning powerhouse batter who batted .337 with six home runs and 29 RBI.

The Titans were able to pick up a few transfers, including former Manatee Lauren Lightbody.

Scouting Georgia Military:
Georgia Military College is located in Milledgeville, Georgia and represent NJCAA Region 17 (Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association).

The Bulldogs are led by head coach Ashley Bunn, who enters her 11th season as head coach with a 302-207 record as head coach.

Last season, the Bulldogs finished 11-14 overall with a 2-0 record in their conference before their season ended.

They will be without their two strong bats in Kennedy Coffey and Kelley Bagarose, who both lead the team with eight home runs and 20-plus RBI.

Jessica Owens will be one of the returning offensive players. Owens batted .357 with home runs and 22 RBI.

On the mound, Beth Eddins will return after finishing last season 5-5 with a 4.54 ERA, one save and 40 strikeouts.

Fun Facts (2012-present):
SCF is 24-12 in the JUCO Kickoff Classic (15-7 under Schuerman), 47-7 against teams not from Florida and 7-2 in their season opener.

Series History:
While it is the first time they will play Louisburg and Georgia Military, the Manatees are not shy with EFSC as they are 9-3 overall. Last season, the Manatees split with the Titans at home losing 7-4 in game one in 10 innings before winning game two 11-8.

How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available on GameChanger and fans can keep up with all three teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFSoftball
EFSC: @efsctitans
Louisburg: @LouisburgCanes
Georgia Military: @GMCJCSB

Livestats Link: gc.com/t/spring-2021/state-College-of-florida-softball