CLERMONT, Fla. - To end the 2021 season, the USCB softball team completed a comeback victory versus Warner, 5-4, and nearly came from behind in the nightcap versus Thomas, 4-3, to bow out of the Sun Conference Tournament on Friday at PFX Athletics.
INSIDE THE WARNER BOX SCORE
Kaleigh Furbush - game-winning, walk-off, two RBI single
Maria Molloseau - 2-for-3, two singles, one RBI, seven innings, win, eight hits, three earned runs, no walks, four strikeouts
Ashlyn Alte - 1-for-3, double, RBI
Jaci Coleman - 1-for-3, single, one RBI
Bri Dunn, Hoolie Garcia and Mackenzie Freeman - one single each
HOW IT HAPPENED
Warner opened the scoring in the first inning with a lone run. Alison Yawn scored on a Sand Shark error to take the 1-0 lead.
The Royals took the four-run lead in the top of the fourth with three runs off four hits. Madison Ioia and Kelly Dwyer had the run-scoring hits for WU.
The Sand Sharks had a chance to break onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth when Freeman and Molloseau reached base safely with two outs. Unfortunately, the final out was recorded on a flyout.
After a scoreless sixth, USCB's offense woke up in the come-from-behind victory. Rachel Frankhouser led off the inning by reaching base on an error. Freeman followed with a single, and the two Sand Sharks advanced 60 feet via a wild pitch. Molloseau made it a two-run game with her run-scoring hit. After a pitching change, Devon Weller walked to force the bases loaded, and after a fielder's choice (first out of inning), Alte drew a walk to make the contest 4-3. Tiffany Dodson reappeared to pitch to Furbush, and the senior Sand Shark made her pay with the game-winning, two RBI single. The Longwood, Fla. native sat back and drove the single up the middle to score Weller and Zinia Hampleton. The four-run inning lifted USCB to victory and forced a matchup with No. 6 Thomas.
INSIDE THE THOMAS BOX SCORE
Alte - 2-for-3, two singles, one RBI
Dunn - 1-for-4, single, one RBI
Devon Weller - 1-for-4, single, one RBI
Rachel Frankhouser - 1-for-2, one run
Maria Molloseau - 1-for-3, single, one run, six innings, 11 hits, three earned runs, one walk, four strikeouts
HOW IT HAPPENED
Thomas opened the scoring in the first inning when it plated a trio of runs in the bottom of the first. Corryne Diaz laid down a RBI single, and Makana Pember touched home on a USCB error. To cap off the inning, Alexus Johnson plated Holly Campbell on a sacrifice fly.
After a scoreless second inning, USCB made it a two-run game in the third. Molloseau reached base to start the inning, and a batter later, Dunn singled to right to put runners at the corners. To account for the run, Alte cracked a RBI single to make the game 3-1.
The Nighthawks regained that run in the bottom of the third with a lone run to regain the three-run lead, 4-1.
USCB had a chance to plate runs in the fourth, but the Sand Sharks left a pair of runners on base.
Down by three in the seventh, Frankhouser started the frame with a walk. After an out, Molloseau poked an infield single to put two runners on base, and the duo moved up thanks to a wild pitch. Weller smacked a single up the middle to plate Frankhouser from third. Dunn grounded out at first, but a run scored to make it a one-run game. With the tying run at second, the final out was recorded in the one-run loss.
RECORDS UPDATE
No. 4 USCB - 25-23 overall
No. 3 Warner - 30-18 overall
No. 6 Thomas - 24-18 overall
