Softball | 4/19/2015 3:37:00 PM
Box Score MELBOURNE, Fla.—The 19th-ranked Barry Buccaneers won a huge rubber game to take their Sunshine State Conference softball series from the Florida Tech Panthers 5-1 at Nancy Bottge Field on Sunday.
Ashley Fernandez ripped a double to deep right field, scoring Cheyanne Head from second in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie.
Julie Brito got the Bucs (31-13, 15-6 SSC) on the board in the first inning. Alayna Gallagher had a infield single and Brito launched a double over the head of Panther right fielder Ashley Montion for the run.
Haley Wiseman (17-6) made the run stand up until the fifth inning. With two outs, Elaine Brown singled to right field and Nicole Miller followed with a double down the right field line. Hunter Mars helped minimize the damage by making a great throw to nail Miller, who had rounded, at second base.
In the seventh, the Bucs tacked on three insurance runs. Megan Copeland led off with a single to right center and moved up on a sacrifice by Gallagher. After an intentional walk to Dee Espinosa and a fly ball by Brito, Kelly Martinez came through with a single to score Copeland. Espinosa scored on an error by second baseman Elizabeth Eby. Head rocked a shot up the middle to score Martinez.
Wiseman tossed a complete game, throwing 104 pitches, for the win. She allowed a single run on four hits and two walks and struck out three. Taylor Smith (11-4) took the loss for the Panthers (33-16, 12-9 SSC). She worked 5.2 innings, giving up two runs on eight hits.
Copeland, Head and Fernandez all had two hits for the Bucs. Brown and Miller each had two for Tech.
The Bucs close out the regular season next weekend, hosting the Eckerd Tritons.
