HIALEAH, Fla. - After taking game one with ease, 5-1, the USCB softball team nearly took home the sweep on Friday at Florida National, but the Sand Sharks fell to the Conquistadors in game two, 7-6, in eight innings at Miami Christian.
INSIDE THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE
Ashlyn Alte - 2-for-3, two RBIs, one run
Kaleigh Furbush - 2-for-4, one RBI, one run
Jodi Hatcher - 1-for-4, double, one RBI
Devon Weller - two runs
Hoolie Garcia - 1-for-2
Sierra Bilinski - six innings, win, four hits, one earned run, three strikeouts
Maria Molloseau - one inning, no runs, no hits, no walks, one strikeout
HOW GAME ONE HAPPENED
USCB had a chance to open the scoring in the top of the second when Furbush and Garcia collected singles. The two Sand Sharks were left on first and second, as the Conquistadors worked out of the inning.
In the third, both ball clubs exchanged runs to break the scoreless game. Alte poked a RBI single for USCB, and Nini Underwood singled for FNU to make the game 1-1.
After a quick fourth inning, the Sand Sharks' offense erupted for four runs to take the commanding 5-1 lead. Amber Locasto walked to start the inning, and two batters later, Weller was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. After a pop out, the Sand Sharks recorded three straight hits to take the 4-1 lead. Alte and Furbush etched back-to-back RBI singles, and Hatcher connected with a RBI double. Garcia plated Furbush off an FNU error to make the contest 5-1.
Florida National barely had chances to come back from the fifth inning-on, as it could only put two runners on base in that stretch. In the sixth and seventh inning, Bilinski and Molloseau were poised to seal the 5-1 win.
INSIDE THE GAME TWO BOX SCORE
Mackenzie Freeman - 3-for-4, double, two singles, two runs, two RBIs
Weller - 2-for-4, one RBI, one run
Alte - 2-for-4, one RBI
Bri Dunn - 1-for-4, one RBI
Rachel Frankhouser - 1-for-4, one run
Caitlin Toole - four innings, four hits, two runs, two walks, one strikeout
Molloseau - 0.2 innings, two hits, one run, no walks, one strikeout
Ally Muraskin - two innings, one hit, one run, two strikeouts
HOW GAME TWO HAPPENED
After a 1-2-3 top of the first, the Conquistadors took their first lead of the day, 2-0, via a Gabryella Hay two-run homer.
Two innings later, the Sand Sharks plated a pair of runs to knot the contest at 2-all. After two quick outs, Freeman cracked a single, and Weller followed with a single of her own. Dunn and Alte smacked back-to-back singles to tie the game for USCB.
After a scoreless fourth, Florida National regained the lead with a three-run fifth.
Despite giving up the lead, USCB didn't cave, as it plated four runs in the top of the sixth to take the one-run lead, 6-5. Locasto plated a teammate via a Conquistador throwing error, and Frankhouser and Weller delivered the game-altering blows to account for the four-run inning.
The lead quickly disappeared in the bottom of the sixth when Underwood stole home to make the contest 6-6.
The Sand Sharks had a chance to take the lead in the top of the seventh. Two Sand Sharks reached base safely on singles, but the duo was left stranded in the tie game.
After holding FNU scoreless in the bottom of the seventh, USCB and Florida National went into extra innings to settle the 7-all tie.
USCB, unfortunately, went down 1-2-3, and FNU took advantage with a RBI groundout to win the game, 8-7, in the eighth frame.
RECORDS UPDATE
USCB - 20-18 overall
Florida National - 22-13 overall
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Sand Sharks will conclude its trip to the Sunshine State on Saturday, April 24, 2021, as USCB will take on Keiser in West Palm Beach, Fla. First pitch is slated to begin at 9 a.m.
