WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The Davenport University softball team was in the Sunshine State for two more games on Tuesday and saw split results. The Panthers defeated Gannon, 5-2, in game one before dropping a nailbiter to Nova Southeastern, 5-4, in the nightcap. Next up, DU (5-5) will be off on Wednesday before facing Wilimington (12:15 p.m.) and UMSL (2:30 p.m.) on Thursday afternoon.
Emma Miller (4-1) got the nod in game one and was at it again as she gave up two runs, both of which were unearned, on only four hits with two walks and nine strikeouts. Those nine punchouts are three more than Miller's previous career high as she lowered her season ERA to just 0.66.
Offensively,
Alexis Koza went yard for the second time this season and
Lindsay Goodman did so for the first time in 2022, both of which were solo homeruns. Leading 2-0,
Brooke Cowan also went deep, something she hadn't done since 2020, and did so with a two-run shot in the fifth. That same inning,
Rachel Griffin singled in
Riley Hasseld to make it 5-0 before Gannon scored a pair of unearned runs in the home half of the seventh.
Davenport struck first against Nova Southeastern in the nightcap as
Gabby Palazzolo hit a two-run bomb in the bottom of the second for just her second blast since hitting four of them as a freshman in 2019. The Sharks responded, though, with a run in the third and another in the fourth to make it 2-2.
In the home half of the fourth, the DU second baseman did more damage as she doubled in
Monica Meger and put her team back up, 3-2. However, NSU hit a solo homerun and an RBI single, both in the sixth, to regain a one-run advantage, 4-3.
The Panthers' fourth and final run came in the sixth when
Emma Embry moved pinch-runner
Alexis Cardona to second with a sacrifice bunt before Cardona was able to score thanks to a throwing error by the second baseman. The Sharks would proceed to take the lead for good in the top of the seventh and did so with an RBI double.
In the circle,
Ellie Muilenburg (1-4) allowed five runs, three earned, on eight hits with three free passes and two strikeouts. Defensively, Davenport had five errors but out-hit Nova Southeastern by two, 10-8.
Story by:
Cooper Weidenthaler
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