MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—The Barry Buccaneers split a pair of Sunshine State Conference softball games with the seventh-ranked Rollins Tars at Buccaneer Field on Thursday afternoon, preserving a tie atop the SSC standings. The Tars took game one 5-1, while the Bucs bounced back to take the nightcap 4-0.
Alexis Yohe (11-5) tossed a shutout in the second game and Ashley Fernandez provided the pop with a pair of solo homers.
Fernandez put Barry on top in the second inning with an opposite field shot off Tars’ starter Taylor McGowan (5-1).
In the third, the Bucs (22-12, 10-4 SSC) loaded the bases and Sarah Broeseker, who walked, came in on a wild pitch by McGowan.
In the fifth, Broeseker again drew a walk and scored on a two-out single by Kelly Martinez.
Fernandez capped the scoring with another homer, this time to left, off reliever Stephanie Sullivan. The two homers tie the Barry single game record set by Crissy Nunez in 1989, against Rollins, and tied on nine occasions, most recently by Alyssa Goldsmith against Palm Beach Atlantic last year.
Yohe held the potent Tars offense to just four hits in the shutout. She walked one, hit one and struck out six. In the sixth inning, after a leadoff double by Courtney Durbin and pinch hitter Jule Kranz was hit by a pitch with one out, Yohe struck out the Tars’ home run leader Hillary Brown and leading hitter Amie Halpin to get out of the jam.
McGowan, who lost for the first time this season, allowed two runs on two runs on three hits and two walks in 2.2 innings.
In the first game, the Tars jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a solo homer by Brittany Johnson in the second inning off Barry starter Britney Pugh (5-3). But in the fifth, off reliever Camille Czanecki, the Tars scored four runs as the first six batters reached base safely.
The Bucs tallied their lone run in the seventh. Martinez singled with one out and pinch hitter Kristina Pazienza doubled. Martinez scored on a ground out by Alexis Kent.
Nikki Fogle (19-1) went the distance to pick up the win for the Tars. She allowed the one runs on five hits, walked two and struck out six. Pugh, who worked the first two and last two innings, allowed three hits and walked three and allowed just the one run on the Johnson homer. Czarnecki, who worked the middle three innings, allowed four runs on five hits and three walks.
The series concludes on Friday with a single game at noon.
(03/28/13 at Miami Shores, FL)
Rollins 5, Barry 1 (Game 1)
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Rollins............. 010 040 0 - 5 8 1 (35-4, 10-3 SSC)
Barry............... 000 000 1 - 1 5 1 (21-12, 9-4 SSC)
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Pitchers: Rollins - Niki Fogle and Veronica Alred. Barry - Britney Pugh; Camille Czarnecki(5) and Kayla Monroy.
Win-Niki Fogle(19-1) Loss-Britney Pugh(5-3) T-1:36
HR RC - Brittany Johnson (2); Hilary Brown (8).
Weather: immaculate
Barry 4, Rollins 0 (Game 2)
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Rollins............. 000 000 0 - 0 4 2 (35-5, 10-4 SSC)
Barry............... 011 011 X - 4 8 0 (22-12, 10-4 SSC)
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Pitchers: Rollins - Taylor McGowan; Stephanie Sullivan(3) and Veronica Alred. Barry - Alexis Yohe and Kayla Monroy.
Win-Alexis Yohe(11-5) Loss-Taylor McGowan(5-1) T-1:41 A-83
HR BU - Ashley Fernandez 2 (3).
Weather: vivid