EC vs. Mount Olive College (Game 1)
EC vs. Mount Olive College (Game 2)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Sophomore
Kaitlyn Dougherty pitched six solid innings in a near complete-game effort to lead the Eckerd College softball program in a doubleheader split against Mount Olive (N.C.) College, 6-2 and 0-12 (5 innings), on Monday at the Turley Athletic Complex.
The Tritons (5-12, 0-0 SSC) ended a seven-game slide with a win in the opener before the Trojans (11-3, 0-0 CC) ran up the score against a committee of five different hurlers in a shortened conclusion.
The Canadian sophomore Dougherty yielded only a pair of unearned runs against the Mount Olive offense. She collected her third win on the mound and lowered her ERA to 3.71 in nine appearances this season.
Eckerd answered the Trojans' early call in the bottom of the first with three consecutive hits, followed by a five-pitch walk drawn by senior
Alex Sasso to bring in junior Julie Bierchen to score the Tritons' first run.
Sasso also drew a bases-loaded walk to plate another run in the sixth frame. She had three walks in game one alone and a sacrifice with no official at-bats logged.
Eckerd drew even in the bottom of the third as freshman Jessica Sudler reached on a fielder's choice, allowing sophomore
Chelsea Jeffares to score from second on Trojans' throwing error caused by an inadvertent collision.
Mount Olive was tagged with two errors in the third stanza as the Tritons managed to score a run without recording a hit.
Eckerd opened up the bottom of the fifth by putting three consecutive runners on base.
Mitchell and Jeffares each singled, while Sasso reached on a fielder's choice. After two quick outs, senior
Kristen Schurr blasted a two-run double to the left-center gap to take the lead and break a 2-2 tie.
Jeffares and freshman Brittany Mitchell each went 2-for-3 at the dish in the opener with a pair of runs scored.
Sophomore
Taylor Styke singled to left center to open a very eventful sixth inning for the Tritons. After Styke advanced to second on a wild pitch Mitchell, Jeffares and Sasso all drew walks to bring Styke home and extend the lead.
Sudler then grounded out to second but earned the RBI as Mitchell scored to bring the lead to 6-2.
The Trojans bats came alive in the top of the seventh as Dougherty was pulled after putting the bases full. Sasso came in to pitch in a save opportunity (facing the tying runner at the plate) and retired the next two batters.
Mount Olive was relentless in game two behind an eight-strikeout gem by freshman Lauren Smith. Smith had walked three hitters in game one in a relief spot, but tamed the Tritons' offense to just two hits.
The Tritons will return to the diamond on Wednesday, hosting Dominican (N.Y.) College for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. at the Turley Athletic Complex.
