SCF Softball Splits with Seminole

Sanford, Fla - The SCF softball team (18-20, 11-17 Citrus) were able to hold their own with a split against RV Seminole State (22-18, 12-16 Citrus) losing game one and winning game two both by a score of 4-3.

Game One:

Head coach Mandy Schuerman sent freshman Ryleigh Bennett (4-5, 4.20 ERA) to start game one, while Seminole State head coach Courtney Miller went with freshman Samantha Titzel (7-6, 5.82 ERA) to counter.

The first three innings were a pitcher's duel between Bennett and Titzel with Bennett gaining the upper hand in strikeouts. At the top of the fourth, the Manatees would get on the board first as redshirt sophomore Jordan O'Brien would send a double to left-center to bring in freshman Hailey Margetis for 1-0 lead. The Lady Raiders would respond back in the bottom of the fourth and take a 2-1 lead on a fielding error and an RBI by sophomore Alyssa Julien. The lead for the Lady Raiders would increase to 3-1 one inning later after an RBI double by sophomore Avery Brewer.

The Manatees would put another run on the board at the top of the sixth as Margetis would bring in sophomore Janessa Benavides with a single to center. The Lady Raiders would respond in the bottom half of the inning after an RBI double freshman Anna Green.

At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would try one last time to try and tie the game after sophomore Karsyn Rutherford hit an RBI double to bring in freshman Saremi Flores and cut the lead to 4-3, but it was all they could produce as the Lady Raiders took game one.

Bennett would fall to 4-6 after giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits with three walks and nine strikeouts in six innings of work. She was also 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk.

Titzel would improve to 8-6 after giving up three runs on 10 hits with one walk in six innings. Freshman Grace Thomas would earn her third save after throwing one scoreless inning of relief with one walk.

Aside from Bennett, Margetis and O'Brien were each 2-for-3 with an RBI with Margetis adding one run and one stolen base.

Benavides (1-for-4, one run), Flores (1-for-3), Rutherford (1-for-3, one RBI) and freshman Lydia Denton (1-for-3) had the remaining four hits, while sophomore Haley Rosenbaum (one walk) also contributed.

Sophomore Lindsay Corazzini lead the way in hitting as she went 2-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base.

Game Two:

Looking to go for the split, Schuerman went with freshman Julianna Stachowicz (10-7, 1.65 ERA) to start game two while Miller went with redshirt sophomore Cassidy Ross (8-9, 4.29 ERA).

The Lady Raiders would score one run in the first two innings. The first inning saw them score on a Manatee fielding error. This would be followed by a leadoff solo home run in the second by Green for her third of the season.

At the top of the third, the Manatees would get on the board as O'Brien would send a double to left to bring in Benavides. The Lady Raiders would respond in the bottom half of the inning after a sacrifice fly by sophomore Mel Bullock made it 3-1 Seminole State.

At the top of the fourth, the Manatees would cut the lead to 3-2 as Rosenbaum would bring in sophomore Jaylin Padro with a double.

After the fifth inning went scoreless, the Manatees would showcase their power as sophomore Alissa Kessler would send a leadoff solo home run to center for her ninth of the season and tie the game at 3-3. One batter later, Denton would show power of her own as she sent a solo home run to left for her first collegiate home run and give the Manatees a 4-3 lead before they sealed the victory.

Stachowicz would improve to 11-7 after throwing a complete game, giving up three runs (two earned) on two hits with three walks and three strikeouts. She was also 2-for-4 at the plate.

Ross would fall to 8-10 after giving up four runs on 10 hits with two walks and two strikeouts in six and a third innings while going 1-for-4 at the plate with a run. Thomas would throw two-thirds of a scoreless inning of relief with one walk.

Apart from Stachowicz, Padro would lead the way in hitting as she went 2-for-3 with a run and a walk.

Rosenbaum (1-for-4, one RBI), Benavides (1-for-3, one run, one walk and two stolen bases), Kessler (1-for-3, one home run and one walk), O'Brien (1-for-4, one RBI), Denton (1-for-3, one home run) and Rutherford (1-for-3) each had one hit.

Green lead the offense for the Lady Raiders as she went 1-for-3 with the home run.

Up Next:

The Manatees return home to the SCF Softball Complex as they welcome #3 Florida Southwestern (39-5, 26-4 Citrus) for a doubleheader Tuesday, April 9 at 4 and 6 pm.

SCF Softball Sweeps Daytona State

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (17-19, 10-16 Citrus) got back on the winning side of things for conference as they swept Daytona State (19-21, 10-16 Citrus) 9-7 and 7-6 (8). With the sweep, the Manatees took the overall series over the Falcons 3-1.

"We were able to capitalize on their mistakes and that helped us gain momentum in game one and they did a great job, team-wise, fighting back," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "We did a good enough job to get the wins."

"I think that we did really well," said freshman Lydia Denton. "I thought stringing those hits was really important. The defense was better and I think we can build on that, but overall we found a way to fight through it and come out with the win."

"I thought overall we did well as a team," said freshman Hailey Margetis. "We did our job and Juli (Stachowicz) did a good job pitching in the second game and Ryleigh (Bennett) slayed in the first game."

"I think we did a good job getting base runners on when we needed to," said freshman Ryleigh Bennett. "We executed well in some situations and came out with a lot of energy while having fun."

Game One: 

Schuerman sent Bennett (3-5, 4.06 ERA) to start game one, while head coach Ben Greer went with sophomore Allizaya Talamantes (10-8, 2.60 ERA) to counter.

The Falcons would open on the board first at the top of the first as they would score off of a fielder's choice by sophomore Sky Ramos. The Manatees would respond back in the bottom half of the inning beginning with Bennett (reach on an error), sophomore Alissa Kessler (reaching on an error) and freshman Hailey Margetis (walk) loading the bases with two out before freshman Lydia Denton popped a single to second to bring in Bennett. From there, sophomore Maddisan Noriega would then line a double down past the third base line to bring in Kessler and Margetis and give the Manatees the lead before sophomore Taylor Halback sent a single to left to bring in Denton and Noriega to make it 5-1 SCF.

In the bottom of the second, the Manatees would increase the lead further beginning with Rosenbaum getting hit by a pitch and sophomore Janessa Benavides drawing a walk before both runners advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch, Bennett would send an infield single to short to bring in Rosenbaum After Kessler hit into a sacrifice fly to bring in Benavides, Denton would send a single to center and bring in Bennett to make it 8-1 SCF.

Bennett would then hold the Falcons scoreless in the third and fourth inning, but upon the fifth inning, the Falcons would get four runs on the board after two RBI singles and scoring on a Manatee fiedling error. One inning later, the Falcons would add another run on the board after an RBI single by freshman Olivia McCronan made it 8-6 SCF. The Manatees were able to turn a double play off of a unsuccessful sacrifice fly thanks to Bennett and Halback.

In the bottom of the sixth, after sophomore Karsyn Rutherford drew a leadoff walk, Greer would be ejected from the game for arguing balls and strikes. The Manatees would add one final run on the board as Bennett would send a sacrifice fly to bring in Rutherford to make it 9-6 SCF. The Falcons would add one more run at the top of the seventh off of a Manatee fielding error, but it would be all they could produce as the Manatees were able to take the first game.

Bennett would improve to 4-5 after giving up four runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings. She was also 1-for-3 at the plate with two RBI and two runs. Freshman Julianna Stachowicz would earn the save after giving up one unearned run on one hit with two walks and four strikeouts in two innings of relief.

Talamantes would fall to 10-9 after giving up five unearned runs on four hits with one walk in two-thirds of an inning. Sophomore Madison Mitzel gave up two runs with one walk in one-third of an inning of relief, while freshman Bianca Guerra gave up two runs on three hits with one walk and one strikeout in five innings of relief.

Denton and Rosenbaum each had two hits. Denton (2-for-3) lead the way with two RBI and one run, while Rosenbaum (2-for-3) added one run and one stolen base.

Noriega (1-for-3, two RBI and one run) and Halback (1-for-3, two RBI) and the remaining two hits, while Benavides (one run and one walk), Kessler (one RBI and one run), Margetis (one run and one walk), Rutherford (one run and one walk) and sophomore Brielle Bostow (one-third of a inning of relief) also contributed in game one.

For the Falcons, sophomore Christina Penney lead the way in hitting as she went 3-for-3 with two run and an RBI, while classmate Kadrianna Grinstead lead the way in offense as she went 1-for-2 with two RBI and two walks.

Game Two:

Looking to go for the sweep, Schuerman sent Stachowicz (9-7, 1.42 ERA) to start game two, while assistant coach Mackenzie Enev, who took over after Greer's ejection in the first game, went with sophomore Emma Ream (5-6, 3.93 ERA).

The Falcons would open on the board first at the top of the first as sophomore Brianna Weimer sent a one-out solo home run to left for her seventh home run of the season. The Manatees would respond back in the bottom of the second beginning with Denton reaching second on a fielding error. After freshman Saremi Flores drew a two-out walk, Rutherford would slap a single to left to bring in Denton before Rosenbaum sent a single to center to bring in Flores and give the Manatees a 2-1 lead.

At the top of the third, the Falcons would tie the game at 2-2 after freshman Logan Ringel scored on a fielding error. The Manatees would respond back in the bottom half of the inning starting with leadoff double by Bennett before redshirt sophomore Jordan O'Brien came in to pinch run. After freshman Olivia Rogers drew a walk, Stachowicz would showoff her bat and send a double to right-center to bring in O'Brien and Rogers to give the Manatees a 4-2 lead.

After the fourth inning went scoreless, the Falcons would cut the Manatees' lead to 4-3 after an RBI single by sophomore Kiera Mainolfi, but the Manatees would respond with a run of their own as Flores would reach base on a fielding error while Kessler scored to make it 5-3 SCF. One inning later, Bennett would make it 6-3 as she sent a single to left to bring in Rosenbaum.

At the top of the seventh, the Falcons would not go away as freshman Morgan Davis would hit a three-run home run to center for her second home run of the season to tie the game at 6-6. The Manatees would be unable to win the game in the bottom half of the inning as the game would go to extra innings.

After the Falcons failed to produce at the top of the eighth, the Manatees would take a chance to go for the win. After Bennett and Kessler hit back-to-back singles, before moving to scoring position, Stachowicz would draw a walk and load the bases for Margetis, who came in to pinch hit for Flores. On the first pitch, the Wesley Chapel native would send a single to center passed the shortstop and bring in Bennett for the walkoff win and sweep.

"When I got told I was pinch hitting, I knew I had a job to do," said Margetis on the game-winning hit. "There was a good amount of pressure, but I knew that there was a job that needed to be done. If it wasn't me, then it was someone else to make the win. Once I saw the pitch come in I knew that was it and I took the chance."

"That's a hero moment when you have a pinch hitter help walk off the game for us," said Schuerman on Margetis. "It was good to see Hailey come out for a hero moment like that."

Stachowicz would improve to 10-7 after throwing an eight-inning complete game, giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts. She was also 1-for-3 with two RBI and a walk at the plate.

Ream would earn a no-decision after giving up six runs (two earned) on 10 hits with three walks and three strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings. Talamantes would fall to 10-10 after giving up one run on three hits with one walk and one strikeout in one inning of relief.

Four Manatees had a multi-hit game in game two. Bennett would lead the way as she went 3-for-5 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base. She would finish 4-for-8 with three RBI and three runs.

"At the plate, I was looking to see good pitches and if it was there, then I swing at it," said Bennett. "On the mound, I was just more focused on doing my job, while helping my team do theirs, so I don't put too much pressure on certain situations"

Rosenbaum (2-for-4), Kessler (2-for-5) and Rutherford (2-for-4) rounded out the order with two hits each. Rosenbaum added one run and one RBI, while Kessler added one run and Rutherford added one RBI.

Flores (1-for-3, one run and one walk), Denton (1-for-5, one run) and Margetis (1-for-1, one RBI) had the remaining three hits, while Noriega (one walk) and Rogers (one run and one walk) also contributed in the game. Denton would finish 3-for-8 with two RBI in both games.

"I felt confident," said Denton. "I was trying to get on base any chance I get. My teammates came back

For the Falcons, Weimer lead the way in hitting as she went 2-for-3 with a home run, while Davis lead the way in offense as she went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.

Up Next:

The Manatees will travel to Sanford for their next doubleheader as they face RV Seminole State College of Florida (21-17, 11-15 Citrus) Saturday afternoon, April 6 at 12 and 2 pm.

SCF Softball Sweeps Polk State

Winter Haven, Fla - A strong pitching performance by sophomore Brielle Bostow and key home runs by classmate Alissa Kessler proved no limits for the SCF softball team (14-14, 8-12 Citrus) as they swept Polk State (8-22, 2-18 Citrus) 4-3 and 12-6.

“We did not play as well as we would have hoped,” said head coach Mandy Schuerman. “Nevertheless, it was good to get two wins for conference.”

“Overall, I think as a team we didn't play our best, but we still did a job and pulled out two wins,” said Bostow. “The difference between both games was our energy level, offensively making adjustments and staying in our zone.”

“We played good enough to win two games, but it wasn't our game,” said sophomore Karsyn Rutherford. “We can put more on the field than what we showed today. I think we definitely had more energy in the second game and scoring in the first inning helped that.”

Game One:

Schuerman sent freshman Julianna Stachowicz (8-5, 1.19 ERA) to start game one while Polk State Kevin Lewis went with freshman Donnea Allen (2-6, 6.85 ERA) to counter.

Following the end of the first inning, Stachowicz would throw a leadoff walk at the top of the second which would signal Schuerman to send Bostow to come in. Despite walking two batters to load the bases, Bostow was able to strikeout two before getting out of the inning with a fielders choice. 

After a scoreless third, the Eagles would take the lead in the bottom of the fourth after an RBI single by freshman Jamie Reinhardt.

The Manatees would respond back at the top of the fifth as Rutherford would send a triple to left to bring in sophomore Janessa Benavides to tie the game at 1-1. One inning later, the Manatees would take their first lead as Kessler would showcase her power as she belted a leadoff solo home run to center for her fifth of the season. Freshman Lilah Denton would then hit a single and steal second base before advancing to third on a groundout. After sophomore Taylor Halback drew a walk, freshman Lydia Denton would send a single to right to bring in Lil. Denton to make it 3-1 SCF.

The Eagles would not go away as they tied the game at 3-3 after an RBI single by freshman Kagan Dudney and an RBI triple by freshman Nayeli Hernandez. The Eagles would load the bases looking to try and win the game in walk-off fashion, but a strikeout and batter interference proved to be costly as the game would go into extra innings.

At the top of the eighth, freshman Avery Arrington would lead off the inning with a single to left before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Halback. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Benavides show her part of being the hero as she sent a single to left to bring in Arrington to make it 4-3.

Stachowicz would then reenter the game on the mound and despite giving up two walks, she was able to get the final batter to line out to seal the victory for the Manatees.

Stachowicz would earn a no-decision after throwing two scoreless innings with six walks and two strikeouts. She was also 1-for-2 with two walks.

Bostow would improve to 2-2 after giving up three runs (one earned) on six hits with two walks and a career-high 11 strikeouts in six innings of relief.

“I felt really good today on the mound,” said Bostow. “I was relaxed and loose and my changeup was on. Taylor (Halback) also helped me with that and was doing a great job behind the plate for me.”

Allen would fall to 2-7 after giving up four runs on eight hits with eight walks and five strikeouts in an eight-inning complete game.

Rutherford would lead the way in hitting for game one as she went 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Benavides (1-for-1, one RBI, one run and two walks), Kessler (1-for-4, one home run), Lil. Denton (1-for-1, one run and one stolen base), Lyd. Denton (1-for-4, one RBI) and Arrington (1-for-1, one run) had the remaining hits, while Halback (one walk), redshirt sophomore Jordan O’Brien (one walk) and freshman Ryleigh Bennett (one walk) also contributed in the game.

For the Eagles, Reinhardt lead the way in hitting as she went 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Game Two:

Looking to complete the sweep, Schuerman sent Bennett (3-3, 3.90 ERA) to start game two, while Lewis went with Reinhardt (3-9, 4.87 ERA).

The Manatees would open on the board first at the top of the first. After Rutherford reached on a fielding error before stealing second and Lil. Denton drew a walk, Kessler would send a double to left-center to bring in both runners and make it 2-0 SCF. The Eagles would cut the lead to 2-1 after an RBI double by sophomore Jillian Hudson.

The Manatees would increase their lead at the top of the second beginning with a leadoff walk by Lyd Denton. After freshman Saremi Flores reached on a fielder’s choice and Arrington hit a single, Rutherford would send a single to right to bring in Flores. After a sacrifice bunt by Lil. Denton, Bennett would send a single to right and bring in Arrington to make it 4-1 SCF.

The Eagles would tie the game at 4-4 after an RBI single by Hernandez and a two-run triple by freshman Veronica Fernandez. 

At the top of the fourth, the Manatees would regain the lead with a leadoff triple by Rutherford. One batter later, Bennett would hit into a fielder’s choice to bring in Rutherford. After stealing second, Benavides would send a single to center and bring in Bennett to make it 6-4 SCF. The Eagles would once again tie the game after a two-run double by Dudney to make it 6-6. Stachowicz would then come in for Bennett with two outs and strikeout Hudson.

After the fifth inning went scoreless, the Manatees put together a strong outing at the top of the sixth beginning with a leadoff single by freshman Hailey Margetis. After Bennett drew a walk, Kessler would once again show her powerhouse hitting as she sent a three-run homer to left for her sixth of the season and give the Manatees a 9-6 lead.

At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would add their final runs of the game. After Stachowicz and Rutherford hit back-to-back single, Margetis, Bennett and Kessler would hit back-to-back-to-back RBI singles of their own to make it 12-6 SCF. From there, Stachowicz would finish the seventh and seal the deal for a Manatee sweep.

Bennett would earn a no-decision after giving up six runs on six hits with three strikeouts in three and two-thirds innings. She was also 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI, two runs, one walk and one stolen base.

Stachowicz would improve to 8-5 after throwing three and a third scoreless innings of relief with two hits, one walk and six strikeouts. She was also 2-for-2 at the plate with a run.

Reinhardt would fall to 3-10 after giving up 11 runs (10 earned) on 13 hits with five walks and four strikeouts in six innings. Allen would give up one run on three hits in one inning of relief.

Aside from Bennett and Stachowicz, four other Manatees had a multi-hit game. Kessler would lead the way offensively as she finished 3-for-5 with a home run, six RBI and a stolen base. She was in fact a triple shy of a cycle. The transfer from Florida Atlantic would finish the series 4-for-9 with two home runs and seven RBI.

"Alissa has continued to show good power at the plate," said Schuerman on Kessler.

Rutherford would also follow with a three-hit game as she went 3-for-5 at the plate with three runs, one RBI and one stolen base. The Venice native would finish 5-for-10 with two RBI.

"I felt good today," said Rutherford. "I'm just happy to help the team in any way I can in order to win."

"Karsyn had a good day today at the plate," said Schuerman on Rutherford. "I was happy to see the ball fall for her today."

Margetis and Benavides would round out the order with two hits each. Margetis (2-for-2) added one RBI and two runs, while Benavides (2-for-5) added one RBI.

Arrington (1-for-2, one run) and freshman Olivia Rogers (1-for-4, one walk) had the remaining two hits, while Lil. Denton (one run, one walk and one stolen base), Flores (one run) and Lyd. Denton (two walks) also contributed in the game.

For the Eagles, Dudney and Hudson lead the way in hitting as they each went 2-for-4 at the plate. Dudney added two RBI, while Hudson added one RBI.

Notes:

This was win #271 and #272 for Schuerman and she needs 28 more to reach 300 career wins as head coach.

Up Next:

The Manatees return to action at the SCF Softball Complex as they welcome #5 Indian River State (29-4, 17-3 Citrus) Tuesday, March 26 at 4 and 6 pm.

SCF Softball Sweep SPC

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (12-14, 6-12 Citrus) were able to break their eight-game cold streak and back on top as they swept St. Pete College (13-21, 6-12 Citrus) by scores of 3-2 and 5-4.

"We are happy that we got both wins," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "We will need to capitalize more with runners in scoring position and continue to try to make all routine plays."

"Overall, we did good being able to score after St. Pete did," said sophomore Maddisan Noriega. "It would go back and forth where they would score to tie the game after we scored and then we scored and kept the lead. It felt good to get the sweep in the end after falling short a few times and while it wasn't our best, we will make sure to bring it for the next series for sure."

"Overall, I think we did a good job finding a way to get on base and did well staying in the game after they started scoring. It felt good to get the sweep, but we know our potential. It wasn't our greatest performance, but we are set on the right track and going into the next series hungry."

Game One:

Schuerman sent freshman Julianna Stachowicz (7-5, 1.23 ERA) to open game one, while St. Pete head coach Bre Myers went with freshman Mariade Los Angeles Fory to counter.

The Titans would open on the board first at the top of the first as sophomore Ayla Horne would bring in a run with an RBI double. In the bottom half of the inning, the Manatees would respond back. After sophomore Haley Rosenbaum (single) and freshmen Hailey Margetis (single) and Ryleigh Bennett (single) loaded the bases, sophomore Alissa Kessler would draw a walk to bring in Rosenbaum. Two batters later, freshman Lydia Denton would bring draw a bases-loaded walk of her own to bring in Margetis and give the Manatees a 2-1 lead. One inning later, sophomore Karsyn Rutherford would score  on a double steal with Margetis to make it 3-1 SCF.

The Titans would add one more run to the board at the top of the third as freshman Paige Bankston would hit an RBI single, but it would be all they could produce as the Manatees sealed the victory.

Stachowicz would improve to 8-5 after throwing a complete game, giving up two runs on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

Fory would fall to 0-1 after giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts in six innings.

Bennett would lead the way in hitting in the first game as she went 2-for-3 at the plate. Rosenbaum (1-for-4, one run and one stolen base), Margetis (1-for-3, one run and two stolen bases) and Kessler (1-for-2, one RBI and one walk) had the remaining three hits, while Denton (one RBI and two walks) and Rutherford (one run and one stolen base) also contributed in the game.

Freshman Alyssa Filmer would lead the way in hitting for the Titans as she went 2-for-4 with two runs 

Game Two:

Looking to go for the sweep, Schuerman sent sophomore Brielle Bostow (1-2, 5.92 ERA) to start game two, while Myers sent freshman Nia Fisher (2-6, 2.55 ERA) to counter.

The Titans would score first at the top of the first after freshman Gabrielle Rascher scored on a wild pitch. One inning later, they would increase the lead to 2-0 off of a Manatee fielding error before it became 3-0 at the top of the third after an RBI single by Bankston.

The Manatees would then get on the board in the bottom of the third after Margetis would hit an RBI single to bring in Rutherford.

Heading into the bottom of the fifth, the Manatees would pull a rally beginning with a leadoff single by sophomore Janessa Benavides. After Margetis drew a walk, Bennett would send a single to right to bring in Benavides before Kessler tied the game at 3-3 with an RBI single to bring in Margetis. The Manatees would then take the lead as Bennett would score on a wild pitch before sophomore Maddisan Noriega sent a single to right to bring in Kessler and make it 5-3 SCF.

The Titans would add their final run on the board from an RBI single by Rascher at the top of the sixth, but the Manatees were able to hold the lead and seal the victory for the sweep.

Bostow would earn a no-decision after giving up three runs (one earned) on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts in two and third innings.

Bennett would improve to 3-3 after giving up one unearned run on three hits with four strikeouts in four and two-third scoreless innings of relief. She was also 1-for-3 with an RBI, one run and one walk and finished 3-for-6 at the plate in both games."

"I felt good at the plate in both games," said Bennett. "I was seeing the ball really well and was on top of it. We have been very focused on our hitting, so I'm happy to see it paying off for all of us. I felt good pitching and went in with confidence that we could get out of innings without giving up runs."

Fisher would fall to 2-7 after giving up three runs on two hits with one walk in no innings. Sophomore Kassidy Goodpaster would give up two runs on five hits with five walks and four strikeouts in six innings of relief.

Noriega would lead the way in hitting for game two as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases.

"It felt amazing to be able to help my team," said Noriega. "That's what I strive for when I'm going up to the plate and that's to get the job done and produce for my team,"

Benavides (1-for-3, one run), Margetis (1-for-2, one RBI, one run and two walks), Kessler (1-for-3, one RBI, one run and one walk) and freshman Olivia Rogers (1-for-3, one stolen base) had the remaining four hits while Rutherford (one run and one walk) also contributed in the game.

Up Next:

The Manatees will travel to Winter Haven to take on Polk State (8-20, 2-16 Citrus) at the Diamond Plex Saturday afternoon, March 23 at 12 and 2 pm.

SCF Softball Sweeps Miami Dade

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (10-6, 4-4 Citrus) were able to secure their first sweep in Citrus Conference play as they defeated Miami Dade (7-10, 5-4 Citrus) 5-1 and 11-1 (5) at home.

"We had two good team wins today," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "We were able to carry over ou practice to our game, which felt really good. I told the team that we need to be present in the moment and focus on what we can do as a team.

"I thought the team did great," said sophomore Jaylin Padro. "We all worked really well together as a team and that showed in our outcome. It felt really good to have our first sweep in conference play as we played like the team we are. After this sweep, we all feel like no one can beat us."

Game One:

Schuerman sent freshman Julianna Stachowicz (4-1, 1.22 ERA) to start game one, while Miami Dade head coach Gina De Aguero went with freshman Aimi Tohara (4-4, 2.82 ERA) to counter.

In the bottom of the first, the Manatees would draw on the scoreboard first as sophomore Alissa Kessler would send a double to left-center to bring in sophomore Haley Rosenbaum for the first run of the game. 

At the top of the second, Stachowicz faced a little trouble with a runner on base. After freshman Jaiden Tretter hit a single, classmate Gessenia Hernandez, the runner on first, would try to score off of the single, but strong teamwork by Rutherford, Rosenbaum and sophomore Taylor Halback lead them to tag Hernandez out at home and prevent her from scoring to end the to of the second.

The Manatees would then increase their in the bottom of the second beginning with leadoff single by freshman Ryleigh Bennett. After classmate Lydia Denton moved Bennett with a sacrifice bunt, sophomore Karsyn Rutherford would reach first on a fielding error while Bennett scored before stealing second. After classmate Stephanie Oaks drew a walk and Rosenbaum reached first on a fielding error, Rutherford would score on the same error to make it 3-0 SCF.

The Sharks would then get on the board at the top of the third as freshman Dana Piri would bring in the run with a bases-loaded walk. The Manatees would respond in the bottom half of the inning as Kessler would showcase her power with a leadoff solo home run to center for her first of the season.

At the top of the fourth, Schuerman would pull Stachowicz and send Bennett to the mound to pitch in relief to success. In the bottom half of the inning, Stachowicz would bring in the Manatees' final run of the game as she sent a double to center to bring in freshman Avery Arrington to make it 5-1 SCF. From there, Bennett would finish off the rest of the game to seal the victory for game.

Stachowicz would improve to 5-1 after giving up one run on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts in three innings. She was also 1-for-3 with an RBI at the plate. Bennett would throw four scoreless innings of relief, giving up two hits with three strikeouts. She was also 1-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base.

Tohara would fall to 4-5 after throwing giving up five runs (three earned) on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts in six innings.

Kessler would lead the Manatees in hitting and offense as she went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. She was the only Manatee with a multi-hit game for game one.

Oaks (1-for-2, one walk and one stolen base), Denton (1-for-2) and freshman Hailey Margetis (1-for-3) had the remaining three hits, while Arrington (one run), Rosenbaum (one run, one walk and one stolen base) and Rutherford (one run, one walk and two stolen bases) also contributed in the game.

Hernandez, Piri, Tretter and freshman Kiana Kedena each had one of the Sharks' four hits.

Game Two:

Looking to complete the sweep, Schuerman sent Stachowicz back to the mound to start game two, while De Aguero went with freshman Carina Amarilla (0-1, 3.92 ERA).

The Sharks would get on the board first at the top of the first as Hernandez would drive in a run with a bases loaded walk. After not scoring in the bottom half of the inning, the Manatees would respond in the bottom of the second as Kessler would once again show her power and send a leadoff solo homer to left for her second of the season. After a single by Bennett before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Denton and freshman Saremi Flores drawing a walk, Padro would send a single to right to bring in Bennett and give the Manatees a 2-1 lead. After Rutherford drew a walk to load the bases, Rosenbaum would draw a walk of her own and bring Flores home to make it 3-1 SCF.

In the bottom of the third, the Manatees would pull off one of their best innings this season beginning with leadoff single by Kessler before freshman Olivia Rogers came in to pinch run. After Bennett drew a walk and Denton moved both runners to scoring position with another sacrifice bunt, Flores would send a single to center to bring in Rogers and Bennett for her first collegiate hit. After a single by Padro, Rutherford would hit an infield single to short to bring in Flores before Rosenbaum loaded the bases with a walk. After Margetis hit into a fielder's choice to reload the bases, Stachowicz would reach base on a fielding error while Rutherford and Rosenbaum score before Kessler, Bennett and Denton would hit three straight RBI singles to make it 11-1 SCF before they sealed the victory for the sweep and invoke the mercy rule.

Stachowicz would improve to 6-1 after giving up one unearned run on one hit with two walks and four strikeouts in three innings. Sophomore Brielle Bostow would throw two scoreless innings of relief while giving up one hit.

Amarilla would fall to 0-2 after giving up three runs on two hits with four walks in one and a third innings. Freshman Lais Ihy would give up eight runs (three earned) on eight hits with three walks in two and two-thirds innings of relief.

Kessler would lead the way in offense as she went 3-for-3 with a home run, two run and two RBI. She would finish 5-for-6 with two home runs and four RBI in both games.

"Alissa needed to shorten up her swing and believe she still had power," said Schuermna on Kessler. "She made adjustments and had great at-bats."

Padro would have one of her best hitting games in her collegiate career as she went 3-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases.

"I felt really good at the plate," said Padro. "I was seeing the ball really well and I just wanted to do my part for the team."

Padro also reflected on playing against Miami Dade as she transferred from them this season.

"I respect Miami Dade," said Padro on facing her former team. "Nevertheless, SCF is my home now and we played well as a team today. It made those awkward situations easier with my team behind me.

Flores would round out the offense as she finished 1-for-2 with two RBI, one walk and two runs.

Bennett (1-for-1, two runs, one RBI, two walks and one stolen base), Denton (1-for-1, one RBI and one walk) and Rutherford (1-for-1, one run, one RBI, two walks) had the remaining three hits, while Rosenbaum (one run, one RBI and two walks) and Margetis (one run scored) also contributed in the game.

For the Sharks, sophomore Atavya Fowler and freshman Ty Ceravantes had the lone two hits.

Notes:

The wins for #267 and #268 for Schuerman and will need 32 to become the second head coach in program history to reach 300 career wins.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

#14 Eastern Florida State (17-5, 2-4 Citrus) split with Daytona State (9-11, 2-6 Citrus) losing game one 4-3 before winning game two 4-2.

#13 Seminole State College (14-6, 4-4 Citrus) swept Polk State (6-10, 0-6 Citrus) 13-6 and 13-5 (5).

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. #3 Florida Southwestern (19-1, 6-0)

2. #4 Indian River State (18-1, 6-0)

3. #8 Central Florida (13-5, 4-0)

4. Santa Fe (12-7, 3-1)

5. Miami Dade (7-10, 5-4)

6. #13 Seminole State College (14-6, 4-4)

7. SCF (10-6, 4-4)

8. #14 Eastern Florida State (17-5, 2-4)

9. St. Pete (9-13, 2-4)

10. Daytona State (9-11, 2-6)

11. Hillsborough (6-12, 1-6)

12. Polk State (6-10, 0-6)

Up Next:

The Manatees will head on the road for their next two conference doubleheaders as they travel to Fort Pierce to take on #4 Indian River State (18-1, 6-0 Citrus) at the IRSC Softball Complex Saturday afternoon, March 9 at 1 and 3 pm before traveling to Fort Myers to take on #3 Florida Southwestern (19-1, 6-0 Citrus) Tuesday afternoon, March 12 at 2 and 4 pm at Buccaneers Park.

SCF Softball Splits With Daytona State

Daytona Beach, Fla -  The SCF softball team (8-4, 2-2 Citrus) pulled off another split in Citrus Conference play for their doubleheader against Daytona State (8-8, 1-3 Citrus) on the road losing game one 3-1 before winning game two 4-3.

"Today, we did not play well," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "We are capable of putting together a much better performance. We will continue to work on our offensive approach to get more quality at-bats for when we prepare for Seminole State."

Game One:

Schuerman sent sophomore Karsyn Rutherford (1-1, 0.95 ERA) to start game one while Daytona State head coach Ben Greer went with sophomore Allizaya Talamantes (3-2, 2.08 ERA) to counter.

The Manatees would get on the board first at the top of the first as sophomore Alissa Kessler would send a double to left to bring in classmate Stephanie Oaks. In the bottom half of the inning, the Falcons would take the lead as sophomore Kiera Mainolfi would send a two-run homer to left for her third of the season before classmate Cristina Penney hit an RBI double to make it 3-1 Daytona State. From there, the Lady Falcons would hold the Manatees scoreless for the rest of the game to win the first game.

Rutherford would fall to 1-2 after giving up three runs on four hits with one walk in two-thirds of an inning. Freshman Ryleigh Bennett would throw five and a third scoreless innings of relief with three hits and four strikeouts.

Talmantes would improve to 4-2 after throwing a complete game, giving up one unearned run on one hit with four strikeouts.

Kessler would have the only hit and RBI for the Manatees as she finished 1-for-3 at the plate.

Mainolfi lead the Falcons offensively as she went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI.

Game Two:

Looking to go for the split, Schuerman sent freshman Julianna Stachowicz (3-0, 0.79 ERA) to start game two, while Greer went with sophomore Madison Mitzel (3-3, 2.49 ERA).

The Manatees would get on the board first once again at the top of the first as freshman Hailey Margetis would bring in sophomore Haley Rosenbaum for the first run of the game. One inning later, at the top of the second, the Manatees would increase their lead further beginning with a Stachowicz leadoff double before sophomore Taylor Halback hit a bunt single to bring in Stachowicz before advancing to second on a Falcon error. After classmate Jaylin Padro hit a single, sophomore Maddisan Noriega would send a fly ball to left to bring in Stachowicz with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0 SCF.

At the top of the third, the Manatees would make it 4-0 as Padro would draw a bases loaded walk and bring in Margetis. The Lady Falcons would try to respond in the bottom half of the third after an RBI triple by freshman Morgan Davis and a Manatee fielding error.

Tbe Lady Falcons would cut the lead to 4-3 after an RBI single by sophomore Sky Ranos, but it would be all they could produce as Stachowicz remained calm and sealed the victory for the Manatees in the second game.

Stachowicz would improve to 4-0 after throwing a complete game, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits with five walks and eight strikeouts. She was also 1-for-2 with a run and a walk at the plate.

Mitzel would fall to 3-4 after giving up four runs on seven hits with two walks and one strikeout in two and a third innings. Sophomore Emma Ream threw four and two-third scoreless innings of relief with two walks and six strikeouts.

Margetis would be the leader in hitting for the Manatees as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI, one run, one walk and one stolen base. Rosenbaum would also have a multi-hit game as she finished 2-for-4 with a run and two stolen bases.

Halback (1-for-2, one RBI and one run) and Padro (1-for-2, one RBI) had the remaining two hits for the Manatees, while Noriega (one RBI) and redshirt sophomore Jordan O'Brien (one walk) also contributed in the game.

For the Lady Falcons, Ranos lead the way in hitting as she finished 2-for-3 with an RBI at the plate.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

#3 Florida Southwestern (17-1, 4-0 Citrus) swept their doubleheader over #10 Seminole State (10-6, 0-4 Citrus) by scores of 7-2 and 3-2.

St. Pete (11-11, 0-2 Citrus) swept Miami Dade (4-8, 2-0 Citrus) by scores of 4-1 and 12-4.

#16 Eastern Florida State (16-4, 1-3 Citrus) split with Santa Fe (12-7, 3-1 Citrus) winning game one 7-5 before losing game two 6-2.

#9 Central Florida (13-5, 4-0 Citrus) swept Polk State (6-8, 0-4 Citrus) 19-2 (5) and 8-0 (5).

#5 Indian River State (16-1, 4-0 Citrus) swept Hillsborough (6-9, 1-3 Citrus) 8-3 and 7-0.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. #3 FSW (17-1, 4-0)

2. #5 Indian River State (16-1, 4-0)

3. #9 Central Florida (13-5, 4-0)

4. Miami Dade (4-8, 2-0)

5. Santa Fe (12-7, 3-1)

6. SCF (8-4, 2-2)

7. #16 Eastern Florida State (16-4, 1-3)

8. Daytona State (8-8, 1-3)

9. Hillsborough (6-9, 1-3)

10. #10 Seminole State College (10-6, 0-4)

11. Polk State (6-8, 0-4)

12. St. Pete (11-11, 0-2)

Up Next:

The Manatees return home for the next four games at the SCF Softball Complex as they welcome #10 Seminole State College of Florida Saturday afternoon, March 2 at 12 and 2 pm before welcoming Miami Dade Tuesday afternoon, March 5 at 2 and 4 pm.

SCF Softball Splits With HCC

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (7-3, 1-1 Citrus) opened Citrus Conference play with a split against Hillsborough (6-7, 1-1 Citrus) winning game one 8-0 in five innings via mercy rule before falling 7-4 in game two.

"Both games showed two different teams," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "In the first game, we played the way we should be playing all the time, but the second game we came out flat and gave Hillsborough an opportunity of momentum to jump back in. If we were to do what we needed to take care of, the result would be different."

"I thought we did good in the first game, but lost focus when we played the second game," said sophomore Haley Rosenbaum. "We did try to come back and fight to stay alive at least."

"I thought we did pretty good," said freshman Julianna Stachowicz. "We just have to keep our energy up and get on top of the errors that we had and come back with our bats."

Game One:

Schuerman sent Stachowicz (2-0, 1.11 ERA) to the mound to start game one, while Hillsborough head coach Elzabeth Hollman went with freshman Alyssa Miranda (1-3, 2.37 ERA) to counter.

After Stachowicz breezed through the first inning with a couple of strikeouts, the Manatees would jump early on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning as freshman Olivia Rogers would ground a single to left to send sophomore Haley Rosenbaum home for 1-0 Manatee lead.

In the bottom of the second, the Manatees would increase their lead beginning with a leadoff double by Stachowicz. After freshman Lydia Denton hit a single, Rosenbaum would then send a double to left-center to bring in Stachowicz and Denton. Sophomore Stephanie Oaks would then bunt into a fielder's choice to bring in Rosenbaum and then steal second before Rogers lined a single to left to bring in Oaks for a 5-0 SCF lead.

Meanwhile on the mound, Stachowicz was put in a jam at the top of the third after giving up a leadoff triple, but with the defense behind her, the Manatees were able to prevent the Hawks from scoring with Denton throwing out the runner at home before sophomore Taylor Halback set up a strikeout/putout double play and catch the runner from stealing second.

The lead would increase to 6-0 SCF as Halback scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the third. After the fourth inning went scoreless, the Manatees would put the finishing touches on the game in the bottom of the fifth. After a leadoff double by Halback before advancing to third on a wild pitch, Rutherford would send a single to center and bring in Halback. After Rutherford stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error, Rosenbaum would play the hero as she single to center to bring in Rutherford for the game-winner and seal the victory.

Stachowicz would improve to 3-0 after throwing a two-hit five inning shutout with two walks and six strikeouts. She was also 1-for-2 with a run.

"I felt really good," said Stachowicz. "I'm glad I let the adrenaline rush through and while I had a one rough inning, coach Mandy just told me to take a deep breath and that's what I did."

"Juli did super well on the mound today," said Schuerman on Stachowicz. "She pounded the zone where she needed to."

Miranda would fall to 1-4 after giving up five runs on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts in three innings. Sophomore Bailey Henderson gave up three runs on three hits with four walks in two and two-thirds innings of relief.

Rosenbaum would be the leader in hitting and offense as she finished 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs and two stolen bases. Rogers would round out the order with a multi-hit game of her own as she went 2-for-2 with two RBI, one walk and two stolen bases.

Halback (1-for-2, two runs and one walk), Denton (1-for-2, one run and one walk) and Rutherford (1-for-3, one RBI, one run and two stolen bases) had the remaining three hits, while Oaks (one run, one RBI and one stolen base) and freshman Ryleigh Bennett (one walk) also contributed.

Redshirt freshman Vanessa Neptune and sophomore Jayla Daoust had the Hawks lone two hits.

Game Two:

Schuerman sent Bennett (2-0, 2.28 ERA) to start game two while Hollman went with sophomore Baileigh Herrera.

The Hawks would end up taking the lead first at the top of the first thanks to an RBI single by Anouk Boontjes and a fielding error by the Manatess. The Manatees would respond in the bottom of the third as freshman Hailey Margetis would bring in sophomore Maddisan Noriega to cut the Hawks' lead to 2-1.

The Hawks would increase the lead to 5-1 at the top of the fourth as freshman Brooke Markiewicz would clear the bases with a three-run double.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Manatees would try to cut the deficit to a one-run game. After a lead single by sophomore Alissa Kessler and Rutherford reaching on a fielding error to put her and Kessler in scoring position, Rosenbaum would send a triple to deep left-center to bring in Kessler and Rutherford. Oaks would then send a double to left to bring in Rosenbaum to make it 5-4 HCC, but it would be all the Manatees could produce as the Hawks increased the lead to 7-4 after a two-run double by Boontjes before they sealed the second game.

Bennett would fall to 2-1 after giving up four runs (two earned) on five hits with three strikeouts in three innings while going 1-for-3 at the plate. Sophomore Brielle Bostow gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits with two strikeouts in two innings of relief while Rutherford threw two scoreless innings of relief with one hit and one strikeout.

Herrera would improve to 3-3 after throwing a complete game, giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits with eight strikeouts.

Kessler would lead the way in hitting as she went 3-for-3 at the plate. Rosenbaum would round out the order in hitting as she finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run while finishing the doubleheader 5-for-8 with five RBI, three runs and two stolen bases.

"I felt pretty good," said Rosenbaum. "I felt confident being able to get the hit and get on base."

"Haley has been hitting like that all practice and she was a good leadoff for us," said Schuerman on Rosenbaum."

Oaks (1-for-3, one RBI and one stolen base) and Margetis (1-for-4, one RBI) had the remaining two hits.

Markiewicz lead the Hawks' offense as she went 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

#3 Florida Southwestern (15-1, 2-0 Citrus) swept St. Pete (7-11, 0-2 Citrus) 7-4 and 10-0 (5).

#9 Central Florida (11-5, 2-0 Citrus) swept #10 Seminole State College of Florida (10-4, 0-2 Citrus) 9-2 and 9-0.

Santa Fe (11-6, 2-0 Citrus) swept Daytona State (7-7, 0-2 Citrus) 3-2 and 10-3.

Miami Dade (4-6, 2-0 Citrus) swept Polk State (6-6, 0-2 Citrus) 15-0 (5) and 6-3.

#5 Indian River State (14-1, 2-0 Citrus) swept #16 Eastern Florida State (15-3, 0-2 Citrus) 8-0 (5) and 6-1.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1. #3 Florida Southwestern (15-1, 2-0)

2. #5 Indian River State (14-1, 2-0)

3. #9 Central Florida (11-5, 2-0)

4. Santa Fe (11-6, 2-0)

5. Miami Dade (4-6, 2-0)

6. SCF (7-3, 1-1)

7. Hillsborough (6-7, 1-1)

8. #16 Eastern Florida State (15-3, 0-2)

9. #10 Seminole State College (10-4, 0-2)

10. Daytona State (7-7, 0-2)

11. Polk State (6-6, 0-2

12. St. Pete (7-11, 0-2)

Up Next:

The Manatees head on the road for conference as they travel to Daytona Beach to take on Daytona State for a doubleheader Thursday, February 29 at 4 and 6 pm.

SCF Softball Ready for Conference Play

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (6-2) look to keep their winning ways in session as they prepare for their first taste of Citrus Conference play. The Manatees will welcome Hillsborough (5-6) to the SCF Softball Complex for a doubleheader Tuesday night, February 27 at 5 and 7 pm to open Citrus Conference play.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of a split at the Courtney Miller Invitational in Longwood on Sunday where they fell to Chipola College by a score of 6-4 before defeating Gulf Coast State College 7-3.

Heartbreaking Needs for Speed:

On the basepaths, sophomores Stephanie Oaks and Haley Rosenbaum lead the way for the Manatees for stealing.

Oaks is currently batting .333 with eight hits, eight runs, two RBI and 12 stolen bases. She had two stolen bases at the CMI Invitational.

Rosenbaum is currently batting .667 with six hits, one home run, four RBI, seven runs and 10 stolen bases. In the game against Gulf Coast State, the Mayo native had five stolen bases.

Liv Free and Hit Hardcore:

Freshman Olivia Rogers has improved her batting average after February 8. Rogers is currently batting .389 with seven hits, two home runs and five RBI. At the CMI, the Delaware native went 4-for-7 with a home run and three RBI.

Rogers is not the only player hitting hard as classmate Hailey Margetis is also hitting the hot bat lately. Margetis is currently batting .471 with eight hits, one home run and six RBI.

Local Hybrid Rampage:

Freshman Ryleigh Bennett has played a key role as a hybrid player on the mound and at the plate. Bennett is batting .533 with eight hits and three RBI, while on the mound she is 1-0 with a 2.74 ERA, five walks and seven strikeouts. At the CMI, the product from Sarasota High went 4-for-7 with an RBI while earning the win over Gulf Coast State after throwing six innings with two strikeouts.

Jetting Along:

Bennett is not the only hybrid player playing a key role as freshman Julianna Stachowicz has also played a key part. Stachowicz is currently batting .625 with five hits and five RBI while on the mound she is 2-0 with a 1.11 ERA, four walks and 16 strikeouts. In her last outing, the Ohioan threw a scoreless inning of relief against Gulf Coast State.

Wild Ones:

Redshirt sophomore Jordan O'Brien and sophomores Karsyn Rutherford, Brielle Bostow, Alissa Kessler, Janessa Benavides and Maddisan Noriega play as the wild cards of the group.

O'Brien is currently batting .300 with three hits and three RBI.

Rutherford is currently 2-1 with a 2.76 ERA, four walks and six strikeouts.

Bostow is 1-1 with a 7.45 ERA, seven walks and nine strikeouts.

Kessler is batting .474 with six hits and one RBI.

Benavides is batting .385 with five hits and four RBI.

Noriega is batting .250 with five hits and three RBI.

Scouting Hillsborough:

The Hawks are coming off of being swept by North Idaho College by scores of 13-3 and 14-10. They enter the beginning of conference on a five-game losing streak. They have not won since February 10.

On the mound, sophomore Baileigh leads the way going 2-3 with a 3.50 ERA, 10 walks and 14 strikeouts.

At the plate, freshman Sonae Simmons leads the team in hitting as she is batting .343 with 12 hits and four RBI. Redshirt freshman Vanessa Neptune, a former SCF Manatee, is leading the offense batting .294 with 10 hits and six RBI.

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be provided by GameChanger and will livestream on the SCF Sports Network. Fans can also keep up with the Manatees on social media platforms.

Livestats Link: https://web.gc.com/teams/i23lUaOZpGKA/2024-spring-state-college-of-florida/live

Livestream Link: https://team1sports.com/scfmanatees/

Social Media Links:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SCFManatees

X - https://twitter.com/SCFSoftball

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/scfsoftball/

SCF Softball Splits in Longwood

Longwood, Fla - The SCF softball team (6-2) played one of their most challenging doubleheaders on the road as they split at the Courtney Miller Invitational in Longwood. The Manatees fell to Chipola College (13-8) by a score of 6-4 before defeating Gulf Coast State (17-4) 7-3.

"We were a little rusty after not playing for two weeks and came out flat when we played Chipola," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "While they did take advantage of that, we still outhit them statistically. We're looking to bring constant energy and make routine plays for when open up in conference."

"I thought we did well making adjustments early at the plate and did a good job staying engaged in the second game after starting off slow in the first game," said freshman Ryleigh Bennett. "When we face Hillsborough, the focus will be opening the game with big energy and staying engaged throughout both games."

SCF vs Chipola:

Schuerrman sent sophomore Brielle Bostow (1-0, 5.73 ERA) to start game one while Chipola head coach Kelly Brookins went freshman Hannah Worthington (5-1, 3.77 ERA) to counter.

The Manatees would try to open early on the board first at the top of the first as freshman Olivia Rogers hit a two-out solo home run to left for her second of the season. The Indians would respond back as freshman Hannah Capps would tie the game at 1-1 with an RBI single.

After the second inning went scoreless, the Indians would take the lead in the bottom of the third after sophomore Amari Brown would score on a wild pitch. The lead would increase for the Indians in the bottom of the fourh as sophomore Hannah Bibbs scored on a wild pitch before Brown and freshman EmmaLee Essary hit back-to-back RBI groundouts to make it 5-1 Chipola before sophomrore Gracie Suggs would make it 6-1 with an RBI groundout.

At the top of the sixth, the Manatees would try to pull together a rally beginning with Rogers leadoff triple before scoring on a wild pitch. After Bennett (single), sophomore Alissa Kessler (walk) and freshmen Lydia Denton (hit by a pitch) loaded the bases, sophomore Janessa Benavides would hit into a fielder's choice while Kessler was called out at home. One batter later, sophomore Maddisan Noriega would draw a bases loaded walk to bring in Ly. Denton to cut the lead to 6-3.

At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would give it one more try to stay alive as freshman Hailey Margetis would hit a single and score on a wild pitch, but it would be all the Manatees could produce as the Indians took the game.

Bostow would fall to 1-1 after giving up four runs (three earned) on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts in three innings. Sophomore Karsyn Rutherford gave up two runs on tow hits with one walk in three innings or relief.

Worthington would improve to 6-1 after throwing a complete game, giving up two runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Freshman Josefina LaCalle gave up one run on two hits with one walk in no innings of relief.

Rogers would lead the way in hitting as she finished 3-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored. Bennett would round out the order batting 2-for-4 at the plate.

Margetis (1-for-3, one run and one walk) and sophomore Stephanie Oaks (1-for-3) had the remaining two hits, while Kessler (one walk), Ly. Denton (one run), Noriega (one RBI and one walk) and freshman Saremi Flores (one walk) also contributed in the game.

Capps lead the Indians in hitting as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

SCF vs Gulf Coast State:

Looking to bounce back from the loss, Schuerman went with Bennett to start game two while Gulf Coast head coach Scot Thomas went with freshman Maddie Vaughn (1-1, 12.00 ERA).

The Manatees, who were the home team, opened on the board first beginning with sophomore Haley Rosenbaum getting hit by a pitch and stealing second before Oaks drew a walk. After Rosenbaum and Oaks committed a double steal, both runners would take advantage of throwing error by the catcher and score to make it 2-0 SCF.

In tbe bottom of the second, the Manatees would extend the lead further beginning with Denton being by a pitch before moving to second on a groundout and then to third on a Rosenbaum. Denton and Rosenbaum would successfully attempt a double steal with Ly. Denton scoring and Rosenbaum stealing second and then third. After Oaks drew a walk, the duo would once again commit a third double steal with Rosenbaum stealing home and Oaks stealing second to make it 4-0 SCF.

At the top of the third, the Lady Commodores would get on the board as they took advantage of a Manatee fielding error, but the Manatees would respond back in the bottom half of the inning as Bennett would send a single to left to bring in redshirt sophomore Jordan O'Brien, who pinch ran for Kessler, and made it 5-1 SCF.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Manatees would their final runs on the board. After Rutherford and Oaks  drew walks with Rutherford stealing second and advancing to third on a flyout, Rogers would line a triple to right-center to bring in Rutherford and Oaks and make it 7-1 SCF.

At the top of the sixth, the Lady Commodores add their final runs of the game after a sacrifice fly by sophomore Fallin Jordan and an RBI single by classmate Rachel Lee, but Bennett was able to get out of the sixth before freshman Julianna Stachowicz closed the door at the top of the seventh to seal the win for the Manatees.

Bennett would improve to 1-0 after giving up three runs on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts in six innings, while going 2-for-3 with an RBI at the plate. Stachowicz would throw one scoreless inning of relief.

"I just went up with confidence and trusting my spin which produce a lot of ground ball opportunities for outs," said Bennett. "At the plate, I focused on getting the pitch I was looking for early and just hitting through the ball."

Vaughn would fall to 1-3 after giving up four runs on three hits with two walks and one strikeout in one and two-thirds innings.

While Bennett lead the way in hitting, Rogers lead the way offensively as she went 1-for-3 with two RBI.

On the basepaths, Rosenbaum lead the way as she went 1-for-3 with two runs and five stolen bases, while Oaks drew three walks with two runs and two stolen bases.

Kessler (1-for-2, one walk) had the remaining hit, while Ly. Denton (one run and one stolen base), Rutherford (one run and one stolen base), O'Brien (one run and one stolen base) and freshman Lilah Denton (one stolen base) also contributed in the game.

Lee lead the Lady Commodores offensively as she went 1-for-3 with two RBI.

Up Next:

The Manatees return home to the SCF Softball Complex as they welcome Hillsborough (5-6) Tuesday night, February 27 at 5 and 7 pm.

SCF Softball Sweeps Heartland in Home Opener

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (5-1) took over the offensive in their home opener at the SCF Softball Complex as they swept Heartland Community College (1-3) 12-4 (5) and 10-9.

"I think that we saw a lot of things that we worked on in practice that were both successful and didn't exactly go as planned," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "Overall, I thought there was a lot of positive and negative we can take from both games today. The positive was this team fought and the second game was a big example when we gave up eight runs in the first two innings and teams would usually be able to make a comeback like they did and that was really refreshing to see and fight it out."

"I thought our first game was really strong and we were really fighting that one," said sophomore Stephanie Oaks. "In the second game we struggled, but we pulled it together as a team and everyone wanted to win and that's what we did."

"We're hitting really well in practice and getting good transition hits which was really important," freshman Olivia Rogers. Overall, I'm really proud of everybody."

"While we did make some errors, we were able to come back with our bats," said freshman Julianna Stachowicz. "We wanted to show that we weren't going to shutdown."

Game One;

Scheurman sent freshman Ryleigh Bennett to start the first game, while Heartland head coach Casey Jefferson went with sophomore Morgan Malone to counter.

The Hawks would draw the first run of the game at the top of the first as freshman Shayne Immke would reach first on a fielding error while classmate Jayden Walters scored. The Manatees would respond back in the bottom half of the inning as Margetis would send a two-run homer to left for her first collegiate home run of the season and made it 2-1 SCF.

In the bottom of the second, the Manatees would extend the lead to 3-1 after sophomore Haley Rosenbaum who reached third on a fielding error, scored on a passed ball.

At the top of the third, the Hawks would tie the game at 3-3 after back-to-back RBI singles by Immke  and sophomore Raeghan Morefield. This would signal the end for Bennett as Schuerman would send sophomore Karsyn Rutherford to the mound. After the pitching change, the Hawks would take the lead as Morefield would score on a double steal to make it 4-3 Heartland.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Manatees did not want their home opener spoiled and set to rally to regain the lead. After Bennett and sophomore Taylor Halback drew back-to-back walks, freshman Lilah Denton would come in to pinch run for Bennett. With Rosenbaum at the plate on a 1-1 count, the Mayo native would drop down a bunt and reach on a single, but then would then take advantage of three fielding errors by the Hawks as Denton, Halback and Rosenbaum all scored to make it 6-4 SCF. After sophomore Maddisan Noriega lined a single to right-center and stole second, Oaks would hit an infield single to second to bring in Noriega to make it 7-4.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Manatees decided it was time to end the game. After Denton (single), Bennett (double) and Halback (walk) loaded the bases, Li. Denton would score on a wild pitch before Rosenbaum sent a double to center to bring in Bennett and Halback. After Rosenbaum stole third, Noriega would bring her in with a sacrifice fly. After Oaks hit a bunt single and stole second and third and Rutherford drew a walk, both runners would commit a double steal with Oaks stealing to seal the mercy rule win.

Bennett would earn a no-decision after giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits with two walks and one strikeout in two and a third innings. She was also 1-for-2 at the plate with a run and a walk.

Rutherford would improve to 2-1 after throwing two and two-thirds innings of relief, giving up one hit with two walks and two strikeouts. She also contributed with a run, two walks and three stolen bases.

Malone would fall to 0-1 after giving up nine runs (eight earned) on eight hits with four walks and five strikeouts in four innings. Freshman Kaitlyn Robinson would give up three runs on two hits with two walks in a third of a inning of relief.

Oaks, Rosenbaum and sophomore Alissa Kessler would all have a multi-hit game as they each had two hits apiece. Oaks (2-for-4) lead the way on the basepaths as she added one RBI, one run and four stolen bases.

"I felt really good," said Oaks.  "I'm really confident on my speed, I capitalized on that."

while Rosenbaum lead the way offensively with two RBI, three runs and a stolen base. Margetis also lead the way offensively as she finished 1-for-2 with a home run, two RBI and one walk.

Li. Denton (1-for-1, one run) and Noriega (1-for-2, one run, one RBI and one stolen base) had the remaining two hits, while Halback (two runs and two walks) also contributed.

Freshman Shayne Immke lead the way in hitting for the Hawks as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases.

Game Two:

For game two, Schuerman went with sophomore Brielle Bostow while Jefferson sent freshman Kendyl Hurt.

The Hawks would score first at the top of the first as Immke would hit an RBI single to right before being called out at third. In the bottom half of the inning, the Manatees would respond as Rogers would showcase her power and send a solo home run to center for her first collegiate home run in her career.

"I was thinking 'just hit the ball'," said Rogers on her first collegiate home run. "Nervous as a freshman to come in to start the second game, but I was confident that the team had my back and I just let it rip."

At the top of the second, the Hawks would start to rattle Bostow as they went on a seven run onslaught, which was highlighted by a three-run homer by Immke for her first of the season. This would have Stachowicz make her appearance and get out of the inning.

Heading into the bottom of the third, the Manatees would slow but surely start to mount a comeback beginning with a one-out single and a stolen base by Oaks before Margetis lined a double to left to bring her in. After Rogers hit a double of her own, Stachowicz would show her hitting skills and send a single to left to bring in Margetis before sophomore Janessa Benavides hit a single to right to bring in Rogers and cut the lead to 8-4.

After the fourth inning went scoreless, the Manatees continued their rally in the bottom of the fifth beginning with Roger reaching first on a fielding error before Stachowicz sent her home with a triple to right center. Two batters later, after freshman Lydia Denton reached first on a fielder's choice and stole second, sophomore Jaylin Padro would send a single to left and bring in Lyd. Denton. After Padro stole second, Halback would bring her in with a double to left-center and cut the lead to 8-7.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Manatees would push to regain the lead with a rally. After Margetis reached first on a fielding error before Rosenbaum came in to pinch run and steal second and third, Stachowicz would sent a double to right and bring in Rosenbaum and tie the game at eight apiece. Benavides would then give the Manatees their first lead of the game as she sent a single to short to bring in Stachowicz before Lyd. Denton sent a single to right to bring in Benavides for a 10-8 lead.

At the top of the seventh, the Hawks would attempt one last time to at least tie the game as freshman Madison Smith would send a single to right and was able to bring in classmate Erin Anderson, but with a last gasp effort, Padro was able to get sophomore Landes Benedict out at the plate to save the game and give the Manatees the sweep.

Bostow and Hurt would both earn a no-decision. Bostow would give up six runs on five hits with one walk in one and a third innings, while Hurt gave up seven runs (four earned) on 10 hits with one walk and one strikeout in five innings.

Stachowicz would improve to 2-0 after giving up three runs (two earned) on two hits with three walks and a season-high nine strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings of relief. She also lead the way offensively at the plate as she went 3-for-4 with three RBI and one run.

"I felt good," said Stachowicz on her game. "I had a little bit of the nervous jitters, but after that I knew my team had my back to help me out and it really settled me down."

"Juli came in and did a wonderful job," said Schuerman on Stachowicz. "I'm really proud of her performance overall. She's a gamer and will give you all she's got and I'm really proud of the way she came in and really did a good job."

Sophomore Amber Teimeyer would be credited with the loss after giving up three unearned runs on three hits with one strikeout in one inning of relief.

Aside from Stachowicz, Rogers and Benavides each had two hits apiece. Rogers (2-for-4) added one RBI and three runs, while Benavides (2-for-4) added two RBI, one run and one stolen base.

Oaks (1-for-3, one run and one stolen base), Margetis (1-for-4, one RBI and one run), Lyd. Denton (1-for-4, one RBI, one run and one stolen base), Padro (1-for-2, one RBI, one run, one walk and one stolen base), Halback (1-for-2, one RBI) and Noriega (1-for-3) six hits.

For the Hawks, Immke lead the way offensively as she went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI.

Notes:

This was wins #262 and 263 for Schuerman.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

Santa Fe (5-3) would split with Tallahassee CC (4-6) winning game one 8-4 before losing game two 9-3. The Lady Saints will take on St. John's River State (5-5) Thursday afternoon, February 15 at 1 and 3 pm.

Up Next:

The Manatees remain at home as they welcome Tallahassee CC Saturday afternoon, February 17 at 2 and 4 pm.

SCF Softball Set for Home Opener

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (3-1) look to make some more noise after completing their first four games on neutral grounds as they return home to the SCF Softball Complex for the next six games. The Manatees will welcome Heartland Community College for their home opener Thursday, February 8 at 4 and 6 pm. This will be the first ever matchup between both teams.

Citrus Conference Standings:

1.  Eastern Florida State (8-0)

2. #1 FSW (4-0)

3. #10 Indian River State (5-0)

4. #13 Seminole State (5-1)

5. Daytona State (3-1)

6. Hillsborough (3-1)

7. SCF (3-1)

8. #7 Central Florida (4-2)

9. Santa Fe (4-2)

10. Polk State (2-2)

11. St. Pete (4-6)

12. Miami Dade (0-0)

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off opening the season at the three-day JUCO Kickoff Classic in Clearwater. They would sweep the first day by defeating Georgia Military College 7-2 and USC Union 14-1 in five innings before splitting the second day losing 2-0 to Parkland College (#4 in NJCAA DII) and defeating the US Air Force Academy 5-2.

Debuts:

During the JUCO Kickoff Classic, 10 newcomers made their SCF debuts, which included sophomore transfers Janessa Benavides and Jaylin Padro. Both joined the Manatees after transferring from Miami Dade.

Breezy Pitching:

Sophomore Brielle Bostow has improved with her role on the mound so far this season. Bostow is currently 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA, one save, two walks and six strikeouts. In game one against Georgia Military College, she threw five innings with four strikeouts while in the game against the US Air Force Academy, she threw one scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts.

A Need for Speed:

On the basepaths, sophomore Stephanie Oaks leads the way with her running. Oaks is batting .286 with four hits, four runs, one RBI and five stolen bases.

Unexpected Source of Hitting:

In the second game against USC Union, redshirt sophomore Jordan O'Brien showcased a side of confidence in her swing after going 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs. O'Brien is currently batting .375 with three hits, three runs and three RBI.

Freshman Hailey Margetis also played a key role in hitting for the Manatees. Margetis is currently batting .625 with five hits and three RBI. In her debut game against Georgia Military College, she went 3-for-3 with one RBI.

From the sophomore side of things, Haley Rosenbaum is batting 1.000 with three hits, one home run, two RBI and two stolen bases.

Hybrid Life:

Freshman Ryleigh Bennett is one of the new upcoming hybrids that played a strong role on the mound and at the plate. Bennett is currently batting .500 with three hits and two RBI, while on the mound she is throwing a 0.00 ERA with one walk and four strikeouts in seven innings so far.

Classmate Julianna Stachowicz, who made her pitching debut against the US Air Force Academy, is currently 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, one walk and seven strikeouts, while batting .500 with two hits, three runs and two RBI.

Road to #300:

For head coach Mandy Schuerman, she is looking to become the second head coach in program history to reach 300 career wins. The first is Jeffery Roberts (366, 1999-2007).

Scouting Heartland CC:

Heartland CC hails from Normal, Illinois (an hour south of Springfield) and represents the Mid-West Athletic Conference (NJCAA Region 24 DII). They are lead by head coach Casey Jefferson, who enters her fifth season as head coach.

The Hawks are coming off of finishing last season 12-28 overall with a 5-15 record in the MWAC. Prior to playing SCF, they will play New College of Florida 

Key returners for the Hawks include Morgan Malone (7-6, 6.77 ERA, two saves, 27 walks and 72 strikeouts) and Ellie Downing (.320, 33 hits, 20 runs, two home runs, 13 RBI and seven stolen bases).

How to Keep Up:

Livestats will be provided by GameChanger and will air on the SCF Sports Networks. Fans can also keep up with the Manatees on all social media platforms.

Livestats Link: https://web.gc.com/teams/i23lUaOZpGKA/2024-spring-state-college-of-florida/live

Livestream Link: https://team1sports.com/scfmanatees/

Social Media Links:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SCFManatees

X - https://twitter.com/SCFSoftball

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/scfsoftball/

SCF Softball Finishes Classic 3-1

Clearwater, Fla - The SCF softball team (3-1) wrapped up their part of the JUCO Kickoff Classic at Eddie C. Moore Field in Clearwater with a split as they fell to #4 Parkland College (2-2) 2-0 before defeating the US Air Force Academy 5-2.

"Going 3-1 is not a bad start to the season," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "Offensively, we just took a little too long to adjust, but overall as long as we continue to compete with every pitch good things will happen."

"I think we did our job for the two games today," said sophomore Haley Rosenbaum. "We tried our best on the first game and had a good fight against them (Parkland). We kept the score low and in winning difference. The difference between both games was we kept our heads in the game more so in the first game while in the second game we kind of knew we would win, so we played down to their level instead of ours."

"The team as a whole did a great job this weekend," said freshman Julianna Stachowicz. "We had some ups and downs, but in the end we learned and grew more together with each challenge we faced. Our focus is going to be starting off hitting the ball and not giving up. We all just need to stay focused and play this game one pitch at a time and we will be successful."

SCF vs Parkland College:

Schuerman sent sophomore Karsyn Rutherford to the mound, while Parkland co-head coaches Kristi and Dan Paulson countered with reigning MWAC Pitcher of the Year in sophomore Karley Yergler.

After a scoreless first inning, the Cobras would score first at the top of the second off of a Yergler RBI double. One inning later, sophomore Lexie Griffin would bring in the second run with an RBI double of her own. From there, the Manatees were unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities as the Cobras took the first game.

Rutherford would fall to 1-1 after giving up two runs on six hits with one strikeout in three innings. Freshman Ryleigh Bennett would throw four innings of relief giving up four hits with two strikeouts while batting 1-for-3.

Yergler would improve to 1-1 after throwing six shutout innings, giving up three hits with one walk and nine strikeouts while batting 2-for-3 with one RBI.

Aside from Bennett, Rosenbaum and freshman Hailey Margetis would each have one hit each.

We did struggle to hit against Parkland, so we knew we had to get our bats going against Air Force.

SCF vs USAFA:

Looking to bounce back from the loss, Schuerman went with a new face on the mound as she sent Stachowicz to the mound, while Air Force head coach Russell Meyer went with Jaina Swann.

For the first four innings, it would be a pitcher duel between Stachowicz and Swann as they both put threw a combined eight strikeouts (six by Stachowicz).

At the top of the fifth, the Manatees would get on the board first as sophomore Stephanie Oaks would reach base on a fielding error while classmate Maddisan Noriega scored. The Lady Falcons would respond back in the bottom half of the inning and take the lead 2-1 after scoring off of a Manatee fielding error and a sacrifice bunt.

Heading to the top of the sixth, the Manatees would starting to fight back beginning with a Stachowicz leadoff double. After an infield single by Oaks and a double steal by both players, Margetis would put her bat to the test as she sent a double to center to bring in Stachowicz and Oaks to give the Manatees a 3-2 lead. One inning later, with sophomore Alissa Kessler on second after a leadoff double, Rosenbaum would showcase her power in a pinch hit role as she sent a homer to left center for her first of the season to make it 5-2 SCF.

"In my head, I was thinking 'I need a base hit'," said Rosenbaum on the home run. "The whole game, our coaches said all we need is ground balls and line drives too, so I just kept in my mind I didn't need to think about hitting it hard just to hit it and the bag would do the rest."

From there, sophomore Brielle Bostow would take over the seventh inning and despite giving up two hits, she was able to seal the deal with a final strikeout.

Stachowicz would get her first collegiate win of the season after giving up two unearned runs on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in six innings while batting 1-for-3 with a run, one walk and one stolen base. Bostow would earn her first collegiate save after throwing one scoreless innings, giving up two hits with two strikeouts.

"It felt great to be out there for the first time," said Stachowicz on her mound debut. "It felt good knowing that I had a great defense behind me and an amazing offense to give me some breathing room."

"Juli did a good job of staying in the zone today and pitched very well," said Schuerman on Stachowicz. "I thought all of our pitching was very good as a whole."

Swann would get the loss after throwing a complete game, giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits with five walks and four strikeouts.

Margetis and Rosenbaum were the offensive leaders for the Manatees as they each had two RBI. Rosenbaum added one walk to her stat line.

"Hailey M [Margetis] has been a solid hitter all fall and is continuing her approach during the spring and Haley R [Rosenbaum] stepped up in a big way as well," said Schuerman on Margetis and Rosenbaum. "We have a lot of different options this year."

Oaks (1-for-4, one run and one stolen base), Kessler (1-for-2, one run), Noriega (1-for-3, one run and one stolen base) and freshmen Lilah Denton (1-for-2) and Lydia Denton (1-for-2) had the remaining five hits, while Rutherford (one walk) also contributed.

Up Next:

The Manatees will get ready for the next six games at home as they begin with their home opener against Heartland Community College for a doubleheader, Thursday, February 8 at 4 and 6 pm.

SCF Softball Sweep JUCO Classic

Clearwater, Fla - The SCF softball team (2-0) opened their season strong on day one of the JUCO Kickoff Classic at Eddie C. Moore Field as they defeated Georgia Military College (0-2) 7-2 in the first game before defeating USC Union (0-1) 14-1 in five innings via the eight-run mercy rule.

"I thought when we made mistakes we did a great job of bouncing back," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "We did a fantastic job of hunting pitches in our zone and capitalizing on defensive miscues with our base running. In both games, we did make a couple of defensive mistakes, but when we have up runs we came back to score more. In both games, we continued to score in multiple inning, which made me proud. I look forward to tomorrow as we take it one pitch at a time."

"The team did very well overall," said sophomore Brielle Bostow. "Our communication and focus through both game is what stood out. Both offense and defense did well and got the job done. It felt really good opening up with two wins. It definitely set a tone that we will strive for every game."

SCF vs Georgia Military:

Schuerman sent Bostow to start game one for the Manatees, while GMC head coach Ashley Bunn went with reigning GCAA Pitcher of the Year in sophomore Addie Moss.

At the top of the first, the Bulldogs would get on the board first as sophomore Paris Kirby would bring in a run on an RBI groundout. In the bottom half of the inning, the Manatees would string together an offensive onslaught. Sophomore Stephanie Oaks would lead off the inning with a single to left and a stolen base before freshman Hailey Margetis would secure her first collegiate hit with a double to right to bring in Oaks and tie the game at 1-1 before moving to third on a passed ball. 

Two batters later, classmate Ryleigh Bennett would send a single to right for her first collegiate hit to bring in Margetis as the Manatees would take the lead. The lead would increase further as sophomore Taylor Halback would send a double to center to bring in Bennett before advancing to third on a wild pitch and scoring off of a single by freshman Lydia Denton for her first collegiate hit of the season. After sophomore Haley Rosenbaum was hit by a pitch, classmate Maddisan Noriega would send a single to right to bring in Denton to make it 5-1 SCF.

In the bottom of the second, Margetis and freshman Olivia Rogers would open the inning with back to back singles before Margetis was called out at third. After Rogers stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch and sophomore Alissa Kessler drew a walk, Bennett would send a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Rogers for a 6-1 SCF lead.

Meanwhile, Bostow continued playing her part on the mound as the Tampa native was able to breeze through the next two innings of works.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Manatee would add their final run of the game as Kessler would send a double to center to bring in Margetis for a 7-1 lead for the Manatees.

At the top of the sixth, after giving up a lead off single, Schuerman would pull Bostow and send sophomore Karsyn Rutherford to the mound. The Bulldogs would get a second run on the board off of a Manatee fielding error, but it was all they could produce as Rutherford was able to hold her own and seal the the final two innings for the first win of the 2024 season.

Bostow would go to 1-0 after giving up two runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts in five innings. Rutherford would throw two scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit with one walk and two strikeouts.

"I felt really good," said Bostow on her game. "I was excited to start competing and being out there with my team. We as a pitching staff have been focused on attacking the strike zone and throwing quality pitches."

Moss would fall to 0-1 after giving up seven runs on 12 hits with four walks and two strikeouts in six innings.

All nine Manatees in the starting lineup would have at least one hit. Margetis would lead the way in hitting as she went 3-for-3 with two runs scored, one RBI and one walk. Kessler would follow after finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.

Bennett would be the offensive leader as she went 1-for-2 with two RBI and a run.

Halback (1-for-3, one RBI and one run), Rosenbaum (1-for-1, one RBI and one stolen base), Noriega (1-for-3, one RBI), Oaks (1-for-3, one run and one stolen base, Lydia Denton (1-for-3, one RBI and one run) and Rogers (1-for-4, one run and one stolen base) had the remaining six hits. Sophomore Jaylin Padro (one walk) also contributed in the game.

For the Bulldogs, Kirby, sophomores Kaitlyn Hallman, Hudson Smith and Reign Williams and freshman Shayla Stephenson each had one of the teams five hits.

SCF vs USC Union:

For game two against USC Union, Schuerman went with Rutherford, while USC Union head coach William Royce went with freshman Abby Benfield.

The first inning opened up the floodgates for the Manatees beginning with a lead off single by Oaks before stealing second and a walk drawn by Rutherford. After Oaks stole third and Rutherford moved to second on a defensive indifference, redshirt sophomore Jordan O’Brien would bring in the first runs of the game as she sent a double to center to bring in Oaks and Rutherford before stealing third. Rogers would then send O’Brien home with a sacrifice fly to center. After back-to-back singles by freshman Lilah Denton and sophomore Janessa Benavides and a stolen base by Lilah Denton, freshman Avery Arrington would bring in Lilah Denton with an RBI groundout to make it. 4-0 SCF.

The Bantams would get on the board with their only run of the game as freshman Peyton Morris would bring in the run with a groundout to make it 4-1 still in favor of the Manatees.

At the top of the second, the Manatees would increase their lead further beginning with back-to-back one out singles by Oaks and Rutherford before O’Brien sent another double to center to bring in Oaks. One batter later, Lilah Denton would send a single to left to bring in Rutherford and O’Brien before stealing second. Benavides would then send a single to center to bring in Lilah Denton to make it 8-1 SCF. 

Oaks would make it 9-1 SCF after grounding out to bring in Noriega at the top of the third. In the bottom half of the inning, Schuerman would send Bennett to the mound for Rutherford and breeze through the inning.

At the top of the fourth, the Manatees would increase the lead to double digits beginning with a lead off by freshman Julianna Stachowicz before she moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a fly out. Following the two out, Arrington would reach first on a fielding error to bring in Stachowicz before Padro brought in Arrington with a double to center and reaching third to make it 11-1 SCF and invoke the mercy rule.

At the top of the fifth, the Manatees would add their final runs on the board beginning with a one-out single by Bennett and a double by O’Brien before Stachowicz sent a triple to right to bring them both in. An RBI single by Benavides to bring in Stachowicz would make it 14-1 SCF before Bennett shut the door in the bottom half of the inning to seal the sweep for the Manatees.

Rutherford would get the win after giving up one run on two hits with one strikeout in two innings. She also went 2-for-2 with two runs, one walk and one strikeout.

Bennett would throw three scoreless innings of relief with one walk and two strikeouts while batting 1-for-1 with a run.

Benfield would get the loss after throwing a five inning complete game, giving up 14 runs (12 earned) on 17 hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Alongside Rutherford, four Manatees have a multi-hit game. O’Brien and Benavides would lead the way with three hits each. O’Brien (3-for-4) also lead the way offensively with a career-high three RBI, three runs and a stolen base, while Benavides (3-for-4) added two RBI.

“Jojo has been hitting the ball well in practice and is having more and more confidence in the strength of her shoulder.” said Schuerman on O’Brien. “I was happy to see her have such an explosive outing.”

Oaks and Lilah Denton both finished with two hits and two stolen bases each. Oaks (2-for-4) added two runs and one RBI, while Lilah Denton (2-for-3) added two RBI and  two runs.

 Stachowicz rounded out the offensive order after going 1-for-1 with two RBI, two runs and one walk.

Arrington (1-for-4, one RBI and one run), Padro (1-for-4, one RBI) and Noriega (1-for-3, one run) had the remaining three hits, while Rogers (one RBI) also contributed in the game.

Sophomore Gracie Starnes and freshman Bailey Stewart had the only two hits for the Bantams.

Notes:

This was the debuts of Bennett, Margetis, Rogers, Lydia Denton, Lilah Denton, Arrington, Benavides, Padro, Stachowicz and freshman Saremi Flores. Benavides and Padro joined  the team after transferring from Miami Dade.

For Schuerman, this was wins #259 and #260 for her in her career. She needs 40 to reach 300 career wins.

The 2-0 is their best start to the season since 2017.

Other Citrus Conference Scores:

#10 Indian River State (2-0) defeated Gulf Coast State (1-1) 10-8 and Georgia Military 11-6 on day one of the JUCO Classic. The Lady Pioneers will face Tallahassee CC and #4 Parkland College (NJCAA DII) (1-1) for day two of the classic at 9 am and 4:30 pm.

#7 Central Florida (1-1) split their first two games on day one of the JUCO Classic as they defeated #4 Parkland College 4-1 before losing 6-4 to Gulf Coast State (1-1). The Lady Patriots will face #2 Northwest Florida State (2-0) and USC Union at 11:30 am and 4:30 pm.

St. Pete College (0-1) fell to #2 Northwest Florida State 8-2 on day one of the JUCO Classic. The Lady Titans will take on Gulf Coast State and and Tallahassee CC at 9 am and 2 pm.

Hillsborough (1-1) split their first two games on day one of the JUCO Classic as they defeated Georgia Military 4-3 before falling to St. John's River State (2-0) 13-4 in five innings. The Hawks will travel to Leesburg to take on Lake Sumter State Saturday afternoon, January 27 at 12 and 2 pm.

Up Next:

The Manatees will wrap up their part of the JUCO Kickoff Classic on Saturday, January 27 and a clean sweep as they play #4 Parkland College at 11:30 am before playing the US Air Force Academy Club Team at 4:30 pm.