Sparta scored its lone tally of the game in the second inning on a solo home run by Shanell Roberts, her third against Nashville this season, to take the early 1-0 lead.  Nashville answered with a five run third and added another in the sixth to escape SHS field with the  6-1 victory Monday.
Sparta had a multiple hit day by senior Taylor Martin as she delivered hits in the fifth and seventh innings.  Those hits were her 100 and 101 hits in her career.
Martin is a four year starter for the softball Lady Bulldogs as she has competed in 92 varsity games.  She has hit for a career average of over .350 with a slugging percentage above .500 with 78 RBIs. 
“She has been a complete player for us over these past three years and this year we are actually playing her some at shortstop,” said Sparta coach Roger Gerlach. “I really have a lot of confidence in her at the plate in key situations and that will be hard to replace when she graduates.”
Against Nashville, Julian Sroka and Corrie Opolka added hits to the offense to go along with the Roberts home run.
“We just are not playing complete games and our focus is not where it needs to be,” said Gerlach. “We gave up a nine-run inning at Pinckneyville on Friday and had another big inning today giving up five in the third.  In both instances, the inning begins with an innocent error and then the flood gates open.”
Alexis Kohrs took the loss moving to 7-5 on the season while the team record dropped to 14-5.