ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Brittany Hipple hit a grand slam in the top of the eighth inning to help No. 15 Tampa escape with an 8-1 win over the Eckerd College softball team in the second game of a doubleheader on Friday evening.
Becky Vyzas hit a game-tying home run in the seventh to send the contest into extra frames, and the Spartans (38-7, 19-5 Sunshine State Conference) scored seven runs in the eighth to sweep the three-game series.
Tampa won Friday's opener 6-0.
Freshman
Chelsea Jeffares recorded an RBI double for Eckerd (14-37, 2-19), which was looking for its first win against Tampa since March 25, 2006.
Kaitlyn Dougherty (5-12) took the hard-luck loss for the Tritons. The right-hander surrendered just two hits in the first six innings before Vyzas tied it with a leadoff home run in the seventh.
After Dougherty escaped further damage, Eckerd had its chances in the bottom of the inning. The Tritons had a runner on third with nobody out, but Tampa right-hander Deanna Henriott (24-4) got three strikeouts to keep the visitors alive.
Eckerd committed two errors in the eighth, extending the inning for Hipple, who broke open the contest with Tampa's sixth home run of the series.
Hipple went 4-for-8 on the day, while Vyzas homered in both contests.
Meagan Camp had two hits in the first game and finished with three hits overall.
Eckerd will wrap up the 2011 season with a three-game series at Saint Leo next week. The first game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
