Header pic: Cheyenne Nelson
The Florida Tech Panthers dropped the opening game of a three-game softball series on Friday, losing to the Nova Southeastern Sharks 2-1 in Fort Lauderdale.
Both teams had just five hits in a game that lasted about 98 minutes. One of the Panthers’ five hits came off the bat of Cheyenne Nelson, who extended her hitting streak to 17 games.
Cheyenne Nelson’s first-inning single this evening extended her hitting streak to 17 consecutive games.
This is the longest streak by a @FloridaTechSB hitter since Elaine Brown recorded a hit in each of the first 23 games of the 2015 season.
— Florida Tech Stats (@FTStatsInfo) March 18, 2022
This started out as a pitcher’s duel between Samantha Guider and Ashley Connor. Both hurlers got through three innings without giving up a run.
Florida Tech (21-12, 6-7 SSC) got on the board first in the top of the fourth. Mikayla Lewin was hit by a pitch and went to second on a groundout. She came home on a double by Tori Szrom. They threatened again in the top of the fifth as Ashley Campbell led off with a double. She was moved to third on Whitney Ellis sac bunt but was cut down at home on a fielder’s choice. The Panthers came up empty in the inning.
The Sharks (18-8, 4-3 SSC) would tie the game in the bottom of the fifth on a sac fly by Tia Williams. They would take the lead for good in the following inning when Haley Hendricks singled home a run. Guider would give up a hit to Samantha Burke before being relieved by Alex Hendrian who got a pop-out and a strikeout to end the inning.
Guider (8-6) went 5 ⅓ innings allowing two earned runs on five hits. She walked two and struck out one, throwing 53 of her 80 pitches for strikes.
Campbell and Nelson walked in the seventh inning, but they were both stranded, leaving the Panthers on the short end of the final result.
Connor (9-1) got the complete-game victory, throwing 115 pitches, 76 for strikes. She allowed one run on five hits, walked three, and struck out two.
For more info: Florida Tech @ NSU Box Score
This series wraps up on Saturday with a doubleheader in Fort Lauderdale, starting at 1:00 p.m.