AVE MARIA, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic softball team traveled to Ave Maria for a nonconference matchup on Saturday afternoon.
The Sailfish started the day with an impressive 10 runs on 17 hits in game one. Five runs in the last three innings led to a dominant 10-3 victory. PBA led 5-1 early in game two, but the Gyrenes fought back to make it a two-run game, but the Sailfish held on to win 5-3 to complete the sweep.
PBA returns to conference play next weekend, hosting Saint Leo on Friday and Saturday. Friday's game at Simpson Field starts at 6 p.m.
Game One – PBA: 10, AMU: 3
PBA struck first to open game one.
Lauren O'Brien and
Kaycee McClellan opened the contest with singles. A stolen base by McClellan put runners on second and third with no outs. O'Brien scored on a sac fly by
Evoni Rodriguez before an RBI single by
Marli Szierer made it a 2-0 game. Ave Maria got one run back in the bottom of the frame after a two-out RBI double.
The 'Fish struck for three more runs in the second. Singles from
Olivia Zimmerman,
Kaitlyn Campbell, and
Daylin Hejtmanek loaded the bases to start the inning. O'Brien doubled to center field to plate a pair of runs. Another sac fly from Rodriguez made it 5-1 through two innings. AMU scored two more runs in the third after three singles, a wild pitch, and a passed ball.
Chloe Nepveux entered the circle in the middle of the inning, getting three straight outs to limit the damage.
Zimmerman and Campbell singled to start the fifth, followed by a walk by Hejtmanek. O'Brien grounded out, driving in Zimmerman. Campbell scored on a sac fly by McClellan to make it a 7-3 game. Campbell came through with an RBI single to leftfield in the top of the sixth, increasing the lead to 8-3. PBA scored two more runs on four hits in the seventh, taking a commanding 10-3 lead.
Karen Vasquez started the game in the circle. She pitched two innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits. Nepveux pitched two perfect innings of relief with one strikeout.
Ashlyn Storms tossed three perfect innings of her own with one strikeout. Campbell led the Fish with four hits, two runs, and an RBI. O'Brien and Szierer tallied three hits each. O'Brien added three RBIs, two stolen bases, and two runs to her stat line. Rodriguez tied for a team-high three RBIs.
Game Two – PBA: 5, AMU: 3
The Sailfish picked up right where they left off in game two, scoring three runs in the first inning. A sac fly from Szierer scored O'Brien to make it 1-0. Nepveux followed with a two-RBI single, driving in
Larken Maseda and Rodrigues to give the Sailfish a 3-0 lead. The Gyrenes tried to rally in the bottom of the inning, leading off with a double and a single. PBA got the first out of the inning at home plate, throwing out the Gyrenes attempting to score. AMU did get one run back on a sac fly to make it 3-1.
Back-to-back walks set up McClellan for an RBI single to left field. A double play put two outs on the board, but O'Brien still scored on the play to make it a 5-1 game. Ave Maria paired two hits with a PBA miscue, scoring two runs on an error to make it 5-3.
Rylee Little finished the rest of the game in the circle, earning the save as the Sailfish held on to win, 5-3.
Rodriguez led PBA with two hits and a run scored. PBA finished with eight hits as a team.
Lauren Allen got the start in the circle. She got the win after pitching four innings. Allen gave up one earned run on five hits and one walk. Little gave up two runs (zero earned), on three hits and a walk in three innings pitched.
