Lady Sharks Leading Southern Conference As Season Winds Down

With six games left in the regular season, the Miami Dade College softball team (24-15 and 9-3 in conference play) is fighting to stay atop the Southern Conference standings.

The Lady Sharks know they can’t let up because the second-place team in the Southern Conference, Indian River State College (34-8 and 8-4 in conference play) is breathing down their neck.

“Conference play is the most important time of the season. We have to keep working hard since we are the top seed,” said MDC’s Head Softball Coach Gina De Aguero. “Everyone is looking at us like we’re the team to beat, so we have to come out and be consistent with our play. I think that will carry us through conference and into the State Tournament.

The Lady Sharks have been pretty consistent this year. They have had seven winning streaks of at least two games this year. During those games they have outscored opponents 93-17. They have also posted 11 shutouts this year, ranking them third in the nation in the category.  

“When you win it feels awesome; there is no anxiety and you feel good because all your hard work is paying off,” said freshman outfielder Erin Sundook. “[After a game] you know there is nothing you could have done better because you played as good as you could.”

In her first year of collegiate softball, Sundook has two home runs, 16 RBI and a .427  slugging percentage. Two other freshmen—shortstop Crystal Garcia and outfielder Anastasiia Miliaevea—have also made big contributions to this year’s team  

Garcia has a .365 batting average, four home runs, 22 RBI, 46 hits and a .571 slugging percentage. She leads the team in home runs (tied), RBI, and batting average.

Miliaevea has added 15 RBI ,  a .300 batting average, a .444 slugging percentage and one homerun.

Their performances have been augmented by all-everything pitcher Milena Calixto, who is 17-8 with 130 strikeouts, one save, and a 1.32 ERA on the mound. Calixto is also contributing offensively with three home runs, 13 RBI and a .447 slugging percentage. And fellow sophomore third baseman, Greta Longagnani who has four home runs, is batting .348, has 19 RBI and leads the team with a .587 slugging percentage.    

Despite the success, the Lady Sharks know that they must remain focused.

“We have to keep the confidence,” Garcia said. “We have a lot of talent on this team, so we just need to keep hitting the ball well and trust each other.”