Posted: Feb 27, 2024
Bradenton, Fla - The SCF softball team (7-3, 1-1 Citrus) opened Citrus Conference play with a split against Hillsborough (6-7, 1-1 Citrus) winning game one 8-0 in five innings via mercy rule before falling 7-4 in game two.
"Both games showed two different teams," said head coach Mandy Schuerman. "In the first game, we played the way we should be playing all the time, but the second game we came out flat and gave Hillsborough an opportunity of momentum to jump back in. If we were to do what we needed to take care of, the result would be different."
"I thought we did good in the first game, but lost focus when we played the second game," said sophomore Haley Rosenbaum. "We did try to come back and fight to stay alive at least."
"I thought we did pretty good," said freshman Julianna Stachowicz. "We just have to keep our energy up and get on top of the errors that we had and come back with our bats."
Game One:
Schuerman sent Stachowicz (2-0, 1.11 ERA) to the mound to start game one, while Hillsborough head coach Elzabeth Hollman went with freshman Alyssa Miranda (1-3, 2.37 ERA) to counter.
After Stachowicz breezed through the first inning with a couple of strikeouts, the Manatees would jump early on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning as freshman Olivia Rogers would ground a single to left to send sophomore Haley Rosenbaum home for 1-0 Manatee lead.
In the bottom of the second, the Manatees would increase their lead beginning with a leadoff double by Stachowicz. After freshman Lydia Denton hit a single, Rosenbaum would then send a double to left-center to bring in Stachowicz and Denton. Sophomore Stephanie Oaks would then bunt into a fielder's choice to bring in Rosenbaum and then steal second before Rogers lined a single to left to bring in Oaks for a 5-0 SCF lead.
Meanwhile on the mound, Stachowicz was put in a jam at the top of the third after giving up a leadoff triple, but with the defense behind her, the Manatees were able to prevent the Hawks from scoring with Denton throwing out the runner at home before sophomore Taylor Halback set up a strikeout/putout double play and catch the runner from stealing second.
The lead would increase to 6-0 SCF as Halback scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the third. After the fourth inning went scoreless, the Manatees would put the finishing touches on the game in the bottom of the fifth. After a leadoff double by Halback before advancing to third on a wild pitch, Rutherford would send a single to center and bring in Halback. After Rutherford stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error, Rosenbaum would play the hero as she single to center to bring in Rutherford for the game-winner and seal the victory.
Stachowicz would improve to 3-0 after throwing a two-hit five inning shutout with two walks and six strikeouts. She was also 1-for-2 with a run.
"I felt really good," said Stachowicz. "I'm glad I let the adrenaline rush through and while I had a one rough inning, coach Mandy just told me to take a deep breath and that's what I did."
"Juli did super well on the mound today," said Schuerman on Stachowicz. "She pounded the zone where she needed to."
Miranda would fall to 1-4 after giving up five runs on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts in three innings. Sophomore Bailey Henderson gave up three runs on three hits with four walks in two and two-thirds innings of relief.
Rosenbaum would be the leader in hitting and offense as she finished 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs and two stolen bases. Rogers would round out the order with a multi-hit game of her own as she went 2-for-2 with two RBI, one walk and two stolen bases.
Halback (1-for-2, two runs and one walk), Denton (1-for-2, one run and one walk) and Rutherford (1-for-3, one RBI, one run and two stolen bases) had the remaining three hits, while Oaks (one run, one RBI and one stolen base) and freshman Ryleigh Bennett (one walk) also contributed.
Redshirt freshman Vanessa Neptune and sophomore Jayla Daoust had the Hawks lone two hits.
Game Two:
Schuerman sent Bennett (2-0, 2.28 ERA) to start game two while Hollman went with sophomore Baileigh Herrera.
The Hawks would end up taking the lead first at the top of the first thanks to an RBI single by Anouk Boontjes and a fielding error by the Manatess. The Manatees would respond in the bottom of the third as freshman Hailey Margetis would bring in sophomore Maddisan Noriega to cut the Hawks' lead to 2-1.
The Hawks would increase the lead to 5-1 at the top of the fourth as freshman Brooke Markiewicz would clear the bases with a three-run double.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Manatees would try to cut the deficit to a one-run game. After a lead single by sophomore Alissa Kessler and Rutherford reaching on a fielding error to put her and Kessler in scoring position, Rosenbaum would send a triple to deep left-center to bring in Kessler and Rutherford. Oaks would then send a double to left to bring in Rosenbaum to make it 5-4 HCC, but it would be all the Manatees could produce as the Hawks increased the lead to 7-4 after a two-run double by Boontjes before they sealed the second game.
Bennett would fall to 2-1 after giving up four runs (two earned) on five hits with three strikeouts in three innings while going 1-for-3 at the plate. Sophomore Brielle Bostow gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits with two strikeouts in two innings of relief while Rutherford threw two scoreless innings of relief with one hit and one strikeout.
Herrera would improve to 3-3 after throwing a complete game, giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits with eight strikeouts.
Kessler would lead the way in hitting as she went 3-for-3 at the plate. Rosenbaum would round out the order in hitting as she finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run while finishing the doubleheader 5-for-8 with five RBI, three runs and two stolen bases.
"I felt pretty good," said Rosenbaum. "I felt confident being able to get the hit and get on base."
"Haley has been hitting like that all practice and she was a good leadoff for us," said Schuerman on Rosenbaum."
Oaks (1-for-3, one RBI and one stolen base) and Margetis (1-for-4, one RBI) had the remaining two hits.
Markiewicz lead the Hawks' offense as she went 2-for-4 with three RBI.
Other Citrus Conference Scores:
#3 Florida Southwestern (15-1, 2-0 Citrus) swept St. Pete (7-11, 0-2 Citrus) 7-4 and 10-0 (5).
#9 Central Florida (11-5, 2-0 Citrus) swept #10 Seminole State College of Florida (10-4, 0-2 Citrus) 9-2 and 9-0.
Santa Fe (11-6, 2-0 Citrus) swept Daytona State (7-7, 0-2 Citrus) 3-2 and 10-3.
Miami Dade (4-6, 2-0 Citrus) swept Polk State (6-6, 0-2 Citrus) 15-0 (5) and 6-3.
#5 Indian River State (14-1, 2-0 Citrus) swept #16 Eastern Florida State (15-3, 0-2 Citrus) 8-0 (5) and 6-1.
Citrus Conference Standings:
1. #3 Florida Southwestern (15-1, 2-0)
2. #5 Indian River State (14-1, 2-0)
3. #9 Central Florida (11-5, 2-0)
4. Santa Fe (11-6, 2-0)
5. Miami Dade (4-6, 2-0)
6. SCF (7-3, 1-1)
7. Hillsborough (6-7, 1-1)
8. #16 Eastern Florida State (15-3, 0-2)
9. #10 Seminole State College (10-4, 0-2)
10. Daytona State (7-7, 0-2)
11. Polk State (6-6, 0-2
12. St. Pete (7-11, 0-2)
Up Next:
The Manatees head on the road for conference as they travel to Daytona Beach to take on Daytona State for a doubleheader Thursday, February 29 at 4 and 6 pm.