FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Sacred Heart University softball team dropped a pair of games at Florida Gulf Coast Wednesday evening. SHU suffered a heart-breaking 6-5 loss to Western Michigan in the first game over 10 innings before taking a 6-0 setback against the host FGCU.
Team Records
Sacred Heart (4-9)
Western Michigan (9-6)
Florida Gulf Coast (12-8)
Game 1: WMU 6, SHU 5 (10 inn.)
Pitchers:
Emily Heath (SHU) - (L, 6.0 innings pitched, 2 earned runs, 2 strikeouts, 1-4 record)
Sam Kowalski (SHU) - (4.0 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 3 strikeouts)
Kailey O'Connor (WMU) - (4.0 innings pitched, 3 earned runs, 1 strikeout)
Jensen Gremillion (WMU) - (W, 6.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 4 strikeouts)
Top Performers:
Jenna Mowad (SHU) – 3-5, 2 RBIs, 1 double
Carly Koltko (SHU) – 2-5, 1 RBI
Of Note:
Both teams left the first inning with a run, as the Pioneers scored on a
Carly Koltko single through the right side that plated
Cierra Bender from third base.
Sacred Heart built a 3-1 advantage in the bottom of the fourth after some clutch two-out hitting from
Jenna Mowad. The senior third baseman slammed a double to deep center to plate both
Rachael Kohler and
Nicole Henke.
The Pioneers pitching staff held the Broncos scoreless for five innings after the first.
Emily Heath started at pitched the first 6.0 frames, allowing two earned with two strikeouts.
With the international tiebreaker rules the Pioneers scored runs in both the eighth and ninth innings.
Sam Kowalski tallied the run in the eighth on an RBI double, while
Morgan Teodosio scored the run in the ninth on a sacfly to plate Henke.
Unfortunately for the Pioneers, the Broncos always answered at every opportunity. Western Michigan took the lead and held on with a run in the top of the 10th to seal a 6-5 victory.
Game 2: FGCU 6, SHU 0
Pitchers:
Sam Kowalski (SHU) - (L, 3.1 innings pitched, 3 earned runs, 3 strikeouts, 3-4 record)
Emily Heath (SHU) - (2.2 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 4 strikeouts)
Allison Sparkman (FGCU) - (W, 7.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 6 strikeouts, 5-0 record)
Top Performers:
Nicole Henke (SHU) – 2-3, 1 double
Of Note:
The Eagles pitching controlled the action in the game, as the Pioneers finished the nightcap with four hits.
Sacred Heart's best chance was in the top of the third inning, when SHU had two on base. Unfortunately, the Pioneers didn't bring any runs across as they remained scoreless.
SHU had another good chance in the top of the fifth, with Henke hitting a leadoff double. The Pios also put another runner on later with a walk, but two ground outs and a strikeout kept Sacred Heart off the scoreboard.
Up Next
Sacred Heart resumes play at the Spring Games on Friday, March 8, with a 10 a.m. matchup against Manhattan.
