Sports Update Monday: Patriots Win the Super Bowl & Nova Softball Season Opener
Patriots Edge Seahawks in Thrilling Super Bowl Fashion
Ten years removed from his last Super Bowl win, Tom Brady wasn’t letting this one slip away. Sure, the brilliant Brady needed a huge play by an undrafted rookie to preserve New England’s 28-24 Super Bowl victory over Seattle on Sunday night. But Brady’s imprint was all over the Patriots’ sensational fourth-quarter rally for their fourth NFL championship of the Brady-Bill Belichick era. The Patriots (15-4) had to survive a last-ditch drive by the Seahawks (14-5), who got to the 1, helped by a spectacular juggling catch by Jermaine Kearse. Then Malcolm Butler stepped in front of Ricardo Lockette to pick off Russell Wilson’s pass and complete one of the wildest Super Bowl finishes. Brady has equaled Montana with four Lombardi Trophies and three Super Bowl MVPs. He stands alone with 13 Super Bowl touchdown passes. He was 37 for 50 for 328 yards against the NFL’s top-ranked defense.
Sharks Win Both on Season Opening Double-Header
The Nova Southeastern University softball team (2-0) picked up a pair of wins on opening day over the Ave Maria Gyrenes (0-2) Sunday at the AD Griffin Sports Complex. Ave Maria came to play in game one and took the fight to NSU. The Gyrenes opened up the score in the first inning, before an error put a runner on base that would eventually score in the second inning. Although the Sharks could not find a hit in the first two innings, they were able to stop the opposing offense in the third.
The Sharks had their best inning of work in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Jessie Brown (Davie, Fla.) was called on to pinch hit and leadoff, and she came through with a single on the first pitch she saw. Brown advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, before Lee drove her home with her second hit of the day, a single up the middle. Drama ensued with the bases loaded and no outs on the board. All-Sun Conference pitcher Cheyenne Benson earned back-to-back strikeouts before shockingly hitting Thornton to drive in a run. On the next at bat, Spaulding hit a single through the left side that drove home Haley Gonzales (Fr., Boca Raton, Fla.) for the walk off win.
In Game 2, NSU carried a 5-2 lead into the sixth inning and held the Gyrenes scoreless in the final two frames to seal the win.