Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Sophomore
Kaitlyn Dougherty went the distance on the mound for the win in game one and was the offensive hero with a pinch-hit walk-off single to claim game two as the Eckerd College softball program brought out the brooms against Ave Maria University, 7-2 and 3-2.
The Tritons (2-0, 0-0 SSC) pounded out 13 hits in game two and manufactured runs in four of six innings in the opener. The NAIA-affiliated Gyrenes (0-2, 0-0) were also making their regular-season debut.
Alex Sasso also tossed a complete-game gem, scattering six hits over seven inning of work in the finale. She allowed just one earned run and struck out two with no walks yielded.
Dougherty lined an offering from Samantha Crews with two outs and two runners on through the right side of the infield that scored the winning run in the form of Brittany Mitchell. Her exuberant teammates were waiting at home plate and the celebration began.
A two-run homer to deep left field by Ave Maria's Janet Holtfreter in the second inning was the only offense through the first five frames before the Tritons manufactured a big run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Emily Wiemken led off the frame with a towering double to the left center gap and pinch runner
Nazley Wilson was moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Sabrina Lolo. Wilson then scampered home after a Crews fastball sailed high for a wild pitch.
Trailing 2-1 going into the seventh inning, sophomore
Chelsea Jeffares legged a one-out triple that was smoked down the right-field foul line.
Kristen Schurr drove her in to tie the game in the next at-bat and Sasso helped out her own cause with a bloop single.
With a pair of runners in scoring position, Dougherty was summoned and she delivered.
The Tritons jumped over Ave Maria pitching in game one, scoring off a wild pitch in the first frame and tacking on three more runs with a combination of sacrifice bunts, stolen bases and another wild pitch, in the second inning.
Ave Maria scored one run in the sixth and seventh inning, but Dougherty silenced the Gyrenes by retiring her mound counterpart, Beth Vaccarezza, on a called third strike to end the game.
Jeffares was credited with a pair of RBI in game one. She recorded a pair of hits in game two along with Schurr, Wiemken and
Taylor Styke.
The Tritons are back in action this week at the Eckerd College Tournament, played at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater set for Feb. 10-12. Eckerd will play two games on Friday, one game on Saturday and two more on Sunday.
