BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic softball team opened its Sunshine State Conference schedule with a Friday afternoon game at Lynn (5-5, 0-1 SSC).
The Sailfish started their league schedule off with a boom. PBA (2-3, 1-0 SSC) plated 12 runs on 15 hits, including two home runs to defeat Lynn 12-5. Every starter in the Sailfish lineup recorded a base-hit in the game for the first time since 2016.
Cambria Arturo got the win in the circle, pitching a complete game with three earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts.
Maura Glatczak got the 'Fish on the board in the second inning, sending a solo home run over the centerfield fence. Later in the inning,
Briana Rodriguez singled to left field with two outs to score
Dallas Watterson and give PBA a 2-0 lead. Lynn got one back in the bottom of the second inning on one walk and one hit to make it 2-1 PBA.
A leadoff double in the fourth inning by
Hayley Haas started another Sailfish rally. A single by
Daylin Hejtmanek put runners on first and third with one out. An error allowed the 'Fish to score one run and put runners on second and third.
Katherine Budnovich drove in another run on a fielder's choice to make it 4-1.
Emma Gipson increased the lead to 5-1 with an RBI single that scored Rodriguez.
Janie McCloskey drove in the fourth run of the inning with an RBI single to left field to give the 'Fish a 6-1 lead.
Defensive miscues cost the Sailfish in the bottom of the fourth. One walk, one hit, and an error allowed Lynn to stay alive, plating two runs to make it a 6-3 game.
The Sailfish put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh. Rodriguez drove in Haas with a double to start the scoring. PBA plated the eighth run thanks to Budnovich before McCloskey put the exclamation point on the Sailfish victory with a grand slam no-doubt home run to left field. The Fighting Knights did not go down quietly in the bottom of the inning. Lynn plated two runs on three hits, but Arturo finished the game in the circle, sealing the 12-5 victory for PBA.
Rodriguez, McCloskey, Glatczak, Watterson, Haas, and Hejtmanek recorded two hits each. McCloskey finished with five RBIs, one run, and one walk. Rodriguez had two RBIs, two runs, two hits, and a stolen base. Budnovich, Haas, and Hejtmanek each crossed the plate two times.
PBA will look to win a pair of games at Lynn on Saturday. Game one in Boca Raton, Fla. takes place at 11 a.m.
