WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic softball team began its series against SSC foe Barry on Friday evening.

The Sailfish received another well-pitched game from Karen Vasquez. She pitched a gem of a game, keeping the Bucs lineup at bay for all seven innings. Well-executed situational softball manufactured a pair of runs for PBA. That was plenty of support for Vasquez, who slammed the door in the seventh to finish off a 2-0 win for PBA.

PBA got ahead early in the second inning. Isabella Hernandez singled through the left side to lead off the inning. Chloe Nepveux went to bunt and popped it over the head of the Barry third baseman, leaving no play at first, giving PBA runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt from Madison Schlichte moved runners to second and third. Toree Hoobler got another bunt down, drawing a throw home, but Hernandez slid in safe to give the Sailfish a 1-0 lead. Natalie Helton's at-bat was nearly identical, laying down a bunt on a squeeze play where Nepveux slid in safely to make it a 2-0 lead.

Vasquez only allowed one hit through her first four innings of work. Barry finally broke through in the fifth inning. A pair of singles set up a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-1 game. Vasquez escaped the inning, stranding the tying run on third.

Barry started the sixth inning with a pair of singles, but Vasquez earned a strikeout to give the 'Fish their first out of the inning. The Bucs tried a double steal, but Larken Maseda gunned down the runner heading for third for a big second out. Vasquez finished the inning by notching her sixth strikeout of the night. The Bucs went down quietly in the seventh, closing out the 2-1 win for PBA.

Hernandez and Nepveux notched the only two hits for the Sailfish offense. Vasquez gave up one run on six hits with no walks in the game. She finished with six strikeouts.

PBA concludes the series on Saturday. Game one of the series starts at 4 p.m.