#6 Panthers Suffer 4-3 LOss to SSC Opponent Nove Southeastern

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla.– The #6 NCAA DII south regionally ranked Florida Tech Panthers (28-12, 12-7 SSC) fell 4-3 to the Nova Southeastern University softball
team (19-23, 5-11 SSC) on Friday evening at the A.D. Griffin Sports Complex in Davie, Fla.

Sophomore Dana Buccelli (Melbourne, Fla.) was walked twice and launched a sacrifice fly to go 0-for-0 for the night with one run and one RBI.

Freshman Shortstop Valen Eberhard (Haubstadt, Ind.) had the best performance at the plate for the night as she finished 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs
and her first triple of her career. Pitcher Shannon Lynch (Jr., Marietta, Ga.) notched her seventh win of the season as she allowed only 4 hits on 3 runs
while striking out six batters.

Panther’s sophomore pitcher Amber West (Apopka, Fla.) dropped to 17-9 on the season, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits, while striking out eight batters.

Florida Tech added the first run of the night in the top of the second as senior right fielder Jennifer Salls (Madison, Fla.)  knocked a two-out
single, allowing Buccelli to score from second.

With Tech ahead 1-0, the Sharks jumped on the board in the bottom of the third as they added three runs to take a 3-1 lead. Action started as West walked
junior Ashley Matthews (Bradenton, Fla.) and freshman Katie Pepper (St. Louis, Mo.) with no outs. After striking out in her first at bat, Eberhard knocked
her first triple of her career to the right field fence, allowing both Matthews and Pepper to score. The Sharks’ final run of the inning came as junior
Missi Perez ( Miami, Fla.) singled to left field plating Eberhard .

The Panthers’ pulled to within one run in the top of the fourth as Buccelli hit a sacrifice-fly to centerfield allowing junior Kristen Fettes (Deltona,
Fla.) to score and eventually pulled even with the Sharks in the top of the fifth as senior Courtney Harless (St. Cloud, Fla.) singled to left field,
bringing junior  Katie Naumoff (Poland, Ohio) home from third.

But the Sharks would not give up as they took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth.Junior catcher Katie Veltri ( Loxahatchee, Fla.) knocked the
game-winning single, allowing Eberhard to score, giving game one of the three game series.

Both teams will face each other tomorrow with the first pitch of the double header being thrown at 1:00 p.m. Panther fans can follow along during the live
internet broadcast at www.fit.ede/athletics and clicking on the Listen Live Now icon. The game stats will also
be live at http://nsuathletics.nova.edu/statistics/Softball/xlive.htm.