FIT Softball Shuts Out Young Harris and Montevallo
By Zach Clark // February 15, 2015
improved to 10-2 on the season
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – After a pair of nail-biters on Saturday, Florida Tech softball scored early and often Sunday afternoon and the Panther pitchers dominated as FIT eased to two victories to wrap up the Columbus State Tournament with a perfect 5-0 record.
With the wins, FIT improved to 10-2 on the season.
In the first game, Taylor Smith befuddled the Young Harris lineup as the Panthers cruised to a 10-0 five-inning win.
Hailey Leonard continued her torrid pace to the start of the season with an RBI single up the middle, plating Brigit Godfrey. Leonard came around to score later in the inning on a Jessica Callahan sacrifice fly to the center fielder.
Elizabeth Eby and Audrey Gangloff led off the second with a pair of walks and Elaine Brown bunted for a single to load the bases.
Taylor Peterson registered a pair of RBIs with a single to center, allowing Eby and Gangloff to come home. Brown scored the third run of the inning on a Nicole Shinsky single to left field.
With the score 5-0, the Panthers really opened things up in the third, doubling the margin with a five spot. Godfrey spanked a single through the right side to bring home Eby and Nicole Miller.
A few batters later, Peterson ripped her second home run of the season, sending a three-run shot to the deepest part of the ballpark, scoring herself along with Godfrey and Brown.
The 10 runs were more than enough for Smith, who allowed just two hits in her five-inning complete game performance.
The graduate student utilized the defense behind her, striking out just two Mountain Lion batters.
In the second contest, Rachel Pence saw Smith’s two allowed hits and bested it, giving up just a single hit and two total baserunners as the Panthers needed just six innings to take down Montevallo 8-0.
The sophomore slinger fanned six batters on the way to a complete game shutout.
The Panthers once again struck in the first inning as Shinsky brought home Brown with a single to right-center.
FIT registered four in the third to widen the gap to 5-0.
Eby’s double to right allowed Callahan and Shinsky to score. Brigit Godfrey plated the other two runs later in the inning with a single to left field, scoring Gangloff and Eby.
Peterson tacked on an additional run in the fourth, crushing her second homer of the day over the center field fence. The senior’s third dinger of the season ties her career-high just 12 games into the year.
Miller ended things in the sixth, singling up the middle to score Makayla Palmer and Leonard to give the Panthers an 8-0 advantage and bring the run-rule into effect.
Peterson had herself a day, batting four-for-six with six runs batted in and a pair of runs scored.
Shinsky was also in rare form, tallying five hits in her six at-bats and recording two RBIs.
FIT will return home for the first time since opening the season with a doubleheader sweep of Webber International on Feb. 1.
The Panthers will play a six-game slate at Nancy Bottge Field beginning with a doubleheader against Palm Beach Atlantic on Feb. 20.
