VIERA, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic softball team played its first day of the Florida Tech Invitational on Friday with games against New Haven and No. 4 West Florida.
The Sailfish held leads in both games, but ultimately came up short in both games. Despite outhitting New Haven 12-5 to start the day, PBA (4-3) left 10 runners on base while New Haven (1-1) took advantage of eight walked batters and an error by the 'Fish to go along with five hits to win 6-3. PBA held a 2-0 lead for the majority of its game against No. 4 West Florida; however, a comeback by the Argos tied the game in the sixth. UWF (4-2) won in eight innings as the international tiebreaker was in effect.
Sailfish softball plays the second day of the tournament tomorrow with games against West Alabama and West Georgia. PBA's game against UWA starts at 12 p.m. while the matchup with UWG takes place immediately after at approximately 2:30 p.m.
Game 1: New Haven 6, PBA 3
Magnolia West, the newly crowned hits queen of Sailfish softball, wasted little time getting the Sailfish on the board in game one. Her fly ball to right-field was just out of the reach of the diving UNH outfielder and the ball rolled to the fence. West, sped all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park home run to make it 1-0 PBA.
Edmilly Molina led off the second inning with a base hit to start another Sailfish rally. She advanced to second on a sac bunt from
Alexis Guerra and
Hannah Carlton's single moved her to third.
Katherine Budnovich, who started the game in the circle, helped her own cause by driving in Molina with an RBI-single to give the 'Fish a 2-0 lead.
The New Haven offense awoke in the bottom of the third after back-to-back walks to start the inning. Another walk loaded the bases with one out. The first Charger run scored on an RBI groundout, followed by a two-RBI double to right field which made it 3-2 UNH. The Chargers plated one more in the inning to take a 4-2 lead.
PBA had a chance to answer in the top of the fourth as it worked the bases loaded, but all three runners were stranded. The 'Fish left two more runners on base in the sixth as the struggled to get the clutch hit they desperately needed. UNH tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth thanks to two hits and an error to make it 6-2. The 'Fish pushed a run across in the seventh and brought the tying run to the plate, but PBA lost 6-3.
Carlton led the Sailfish offense with four hits.
Janie McCloskey, Guerra and Budnovich also tallied two hits each. Budnovich threw three innings in the circle, allowing four runs on just two hits.
Taylor Pennica pitched three innings in relief, giving up three hits and an earned run.
Game 2: No. 4 UWF 3, PBA 2
The Sailfish struck first again in game two as McCloskey sent her second home run of the season over the left field fence to make it 1-0 PBA in the second inning. Back-to-Back doubled by Molina and Carlton followed to make it 2-0 'Fish in the blink of an eye.
Abby Busby, coming off her first shutout of the season on Tuesday, picked up right where she left off. She gave up just one hit through the first four innings.
PBA had a chance to extend its lead in the fourth as
Maddie Biggs singled and McCloskey walked to start the inning. Unfortunately for the 'Fish, the runners did not advance from first and second.
West Florida got on the board in the sixth inning in a way that looked familiar to the Sailfish. After a bang-bang play at first base put a runner on for the Argos, the next batter followed with an inside-the-park home run that was nearly identical to the one by West in game one for PBA. The round tripper tied the game at two.
PBA again had a prime chance to score in the sixth. Biggs was hit by a pitch followed by another McCloskey walk to put two runners on base with no outs. A sac bunt moved them over, but they were left stranded on base again.
After a scoreless seventh inning. The Argos started the eighth with a runner on second base. She advanced on a sac bunt and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-2 UWF. Busby kept the game from getting out of hand as she ended the inning with the bases loaded. The Sailfish had a chance to tie it in the eighth with two runners on and one out, but they were unable to bring the tying run home.
Despite earning the loss, Busby had another strong showing in the circle. She gave up two earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. McCloskey finished with a base hit, two walks and an RBI.
