GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Palm Beach Atlantic softball team concluded its time in Alabama on Sunday with games against Montevallo and Union.
The Sailfish came up short in both of their games today. Defensive miscues resulted in two unearned runs in the first game. The errors came back to bite the Sailfish as Montevallo came out on top, 3-1. PBA dropped the second game against Union, 4-1, in a game where the Sailfish stranded runners in five of the seven innings.
PBA's next games are in conference play against Lynn. The Sailfish travel to face the Fighting Knights on Feb. 18 at 3 p.m.
Game one: UM 3, PBA 1
The Sailfish nearly struck first in game one. In the second inning,
Dallas Watterson singled through the right side, followed by a walk by
Hayley Haas to put runners on second and third with two outs. The PBA rally was cut short after a groundout to first base. Montevallo got on the board first after a leadoff bunt-single and a base hit to left field that got by the Sailfish fielder which allowed the leadoff hitter to score and put a runner on third with no outs. A sac fly made it 2-0 UM. Two more PBA errors in the inning allowed the Falcons to take a 3-0 lead.
The Sailfish plated its only run of the game in the fifth inning.
Briana Rodriguez started the inning with a single up the middle. She stole second base and advanced on a wild pitch to put a runner on third with one out.
Emma Gipson drove her in win a single to right-centerfield. That was the last base hit for the 'Fish in the game.
Chloe Nepveux got the start in the circle for PBA. She pitched three innings with one earned run and two strikeouts.
Cambria Arturo pitched four scoreless innings of relief surrendering three hits with two strikeouts. Rodriguez led PBA with two hits, a double, one run, and two stolen bases.
Katherine Budnovich and Gipson reached base twice with one hit and one walk each.
Game two: Union 4, PBA 1
PBA played from behind again in game two. Union took a 1-0 lead in the second inning thanks to two hits and a PBA error. The Sailfish evened the score in the top of the third. Rodriguez started the rally again with an infield single followed by a stolen base where she advanced to third thanks to an errant throw. Gipson drove Rodriguez in with an RBI groundout to make it a 1-1 game.
Union retook the league in the bottom of the third thanks to three hits to lead 2-1. The Bulldogs took a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning thanks to a pair of hits and a PBA error. The Sailfish had runners in scoring position in the sixth and seventh innings but failed to bring any runners around to score.
Karen Vasquez started in the circle for PBA. She tossed three innings, surrendering three earned runs on seven hits and one walk.
Lacy Marty relieved Vasquez, throwing three innings with no earned runs, three hits, and one strikeout. PBA recorded three hits and four walks as a team in the game, totaling seven runners left on base.
