By Pat Clines

Winter Haven, Fla - The SCF softball team (18-20, 3-5 Suncoast) got back to winning for Suncoast Conference play as they defeated Polk State (13-20, 0-6 Suncoast) 8-0 in in five innings via mercy rule and 10-5.

"We had two great team wins today," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "We had a good effort and plenty of energy. It always feels good to win. Hopefully we can us this energy to push forward on Friday.

"Overall, we stayed on top all day," said sophomore Chantel Schurr. "We pounded the zone, made plays behind our pitcher and hit the ball hard. We all did our jobs individually, which lead to staying up and winning as a team. Getting the sweep feels nice, but we can't get too comfortable and have to realize that this is a step in the right direction and we need to keep our foot on the gas.

"As a team, we killed it today," said sophomore Gabi Nicholson. "We all had each others back through the whole game and every time someone didn't move the runner over, the next hitter would. It felt great getting the sweep. We came out with great attitudes and kept pushing the whole game."

Game One:

Scheurman went with freshman Karsyn Rutherford to start game one, while Polk State head coach Mark Skapin went with freshman Baileigh Herrera.

After the first inning went scoreless, the Manatees would go on a big scoring run at the top of the second. After freshman Alissa Kessler reached on a fielding error and Rutherford hitting a single to center, Nicholson would bring in the first run as she hit a sacrifice fly to left to bring in Kessler. After sophomore Molly Starinsky reached on another fielding error, Schurr would show her contact and speed on the first pitch as she sent a triple to right to bring in Rutherford and Startinsky. Freshman Stephanie Oaks would then hit an infield single to bring in Schurr and stole second before classmate Taylor Halback sent a double to left to bring in Oaks for a 5-0 SCF lead.

At the top of the fourth, sophomore Tori Copeland would extend the score to 6-0 after bringing in Schurr. One inning later, Nicholson would show her power at the plate as she sent a two-run homer to center to bring in freshman Haley Rosenbaum and herself for her second of the season before Rutherford sealed the mercy rule win.

Rutherford would improve to 7-6 after throwing a two-hit five inning shutout with two walks. She was also 1-for-3 with a run at the plate.

Herrera would fall to 3-5 after giving up five unearned runs on five hits with two strikeouts in two innings. Sophomore Jacey Bisbee would give up three runs on two hits with two walks in three innings of relief.

Oaks would lead the team in hitting as she went 2-for-2 with an RBI, one run and two stolen bases. Nicholson and Schurr lead the way offensively. Nicholson finished 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, while Schurr went 1-for-2 with two RBI, two runs, one walk and one stolen base.

Halback (1-for-3, one RBI) and sophomore Presley O'Kimosh (1-for-3) would have the Manatees remaining two hits, while Copeland (one RBI and one stolen base), Kessler (one walk), Rosenbaum (one run) and Starinsky (one run) also contributed in the game.

Freshmen Chelsi Rae' Hebert and Suhelly Mercado had the only hits for the Eagles.

Game Two:

For game two, Schuerman went with freshman Brielle Bostow, while Skapin went with sophomore Kyra Ward.

At the top of the first inning, the Manatees would go on a scoring frenzy. After Copeland and Oaks hit back-to-back singles, O'Kimosh would line a single to center to bring in Copeland for the first run of the second game. After Kessler drew a walk to load the bases, Nicholson would then draw a walk to bring in Oaks and reload the bases. After Rutherford drew a walk that brought in O'Kimosh and reload the bases a second time, Schurr would once again show her speed and contact on the swing as she cleared the bases with a triple to bring in Kessler, Nicholson and Rutherford. Sophomore Olivia Seibert would then send a single to bring in Schurr before freshman Maddisan Noriega would get hit by a pitch. After Seibert tagged up third, Oaks would then send an infield single to first to bring in Seibert to make it 8-0 SCF and invoke the eight-run mercy rule. 

The Manatees continued to hold the lead to the fifth for another mercy rule win, but an RBI double by sophomore Alma Fernandez and a Manatee fielding error gave the Eagles their first two runs of the game.

The Eagles continued to cut the deficit to 8-5 after a sacrifice fly by freshman Jenna Satterfield, an RBI single by Fernandez and an RBI triple by sophomore Kanitria Antenor in the bottom of the sixth.

At the top of the seventh, the Manatees would add a couple of extra runs to their board beginning with a leadoff single by Nicholson before redshirt freshman Jordan O'Brien came in to pinch run. After a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Sam Carlin moved O'Brien to second and a single by Schurr put runners at the corners, Schurr would steal second and advanced to third while O'Brien scored on a passed ball. After Seibert and Halback drew back-to-back walks, Copeland would send a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Schurr for a 10-5 SCF lead before sealing the sweep.

Bostow would improve to 6-11 after giving up five runs (one earned) on seven hits with two walks and one strikeout in five and two-thirds innings. Carlin would throw one and a third scoreless innings, giving up one hit and one walk.

Ward would fall to 4-9 after giving up seven runs on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts in five innings. Herrera would give up three runs on three hits with two walks in two innings of relief.

Schurr would be the leader at the plate in the second game as she went 3-for-3 with a triple, three RBI, two runs, one walk and two stolen bases. She finished 4-for-5 with two triples, five RBI, four runs and three stolen bases.

"I felt super confident at the plate today," said Schurr. "I feel like I just knew I had a job that needed to get done and I was there for that reason."

Oaks would finish the second game 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. She would finish the series 4-for-6 with two RBI, two runs and two stolen bases.

Nicholson went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a run and a walk. She finished 2-for-6 with a home run and four RBI.

"I felt great at the plate today," said Nicholson. "While it was not exactly the outcome I wanted, the results were great and scoring my team runs means more than anything."

Copeland (1-for-4, one RBI and one run), O'Kimosh (1-for-3, one RBI and one run) and Seibert (1-for-3, one RBI, one run and one stolen base) had the remaining hits, while Kessler (one run and one walk), O'Brien (one run), Rutherford (one RBI, one run and one walk) and Halback (one walk) also contributed in the second game.

For the Eagles, Fernandez lead the way in hitting as she went 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Antenor went 2-for-3.

Other Suncoast Scores:

St. Pete (24-13, 5-1 Suncoast) defeated Hillsborough (17-19, 6-2 Suncoast) 6-2 and 3-2 (9).

Suncoast Conference Standings:

1. Hillsborough (17-19, 6-2)

2. St. Pete (24-13, 5-1)

3. SCF (18-20, 3-5)

4. Polk State (13-20, 0-6)

Up Next:

The Manatees return home to the SCF Softball Complex for a doubleheader as they welcome Eastern Florida State (15-28, 0-7 Southern) and #1 Florida Southwestern (37-3, 7-0 Southern) Friday, April 7 at 1 and 5 pm.