EC vs. Lynn (Game 1)
EC vs. Lynn (Game 2)
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Eckerd College softball program overcame some unforeseen weather elements and completed 17 innings on the road to earn a pair of Sunshine State Conference victories against Lynn University in a Friday doubleheader sweep, 7-3 and 6-4 (10 innings).
Play was halted for two separate rain delays and the Tritons (11-35, 3-12 SSC) stopped a 15-game slide to claim the league series against the Fighting Knights (2-36, 1-14 SSC).
Sophomore
Chelsea Jeffares continued to embrace her newfound leadoff role with a perfect pair of official at-bats to key the EC offense in the opener. Jeffares went 2-for-2 at the plate, scored two runs and also drew a pair of walks while getting credit for an RBI.
Down to their final out in the top of the 10th, the Tritons manufactured two runs on RBI singles by
Sarah Agnew and
Ashleigh Bynum to break a 4-4 tie in the finale.
After both teams exchanged a run in their halves of the first inning to knot things up at 1-all, Lynn grabbed a temporary lead with a two-run fourth inning.
But the Tritons restored the tie in the fifth at 3-3 thanks to an infield error that allowed Jeffares to cross home plate with the equalizer.
The Eckerd offense came alive with six of its eight hits in the top of the seventh and four runs came home. Junior
Kristen Schurr had a two-run blow with a single up the middle while freshman Brittany Mitchell and Jeffares each plated another run to put the game out of reach.
Despite the Fighting Knights outhitting the Tritons, 13-8, Lynn managed just two earned runs against the line of EC senior starter
Alex Sasso, who went 3 2/3 innings in the circle.
Whitney Bernier was the winner with 3 1/3 scoreless relief frames that included one strikeout and no walks allowed. Bernier also earned the decision in game two, holding Lynn without a run in another long-relief outing in the conclusion, finishing the day with 6 2/3 scoreless innings.
EC held a minor advantage in the hit column to finish game two, 9-8, as the Tritons withstood a gutsy four-run rally (including two home runs) assembled together by the Fighting Knights that put the game into extra innings.
Jeffares recorded her third hit of the afternoon with a double to get the game underway and ignited a two-run first frame. The Tritons equaled that run production in the third as Jeffares again got on base with a leadoff walk.
Mitchell ripped a run-scoring double in the first and had a nice piece of two-out hitting with a single up the middle to score Jeffares in the third.
After both teams couldn't get the go-ahead run on the board in the eighth and ninth frames, the Tritons broke through on Agnew's one-out RBI that scored Schurr all the way from second base.
To seal the victory, Bernier slammed the door shut in the bottom of the 10th.
The Tritons continue conference action next week on the road for a three-game series beginning on Friday at the University of Tampa.
