Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – After the Eckerd College softball program opened the season with a sweep, Ave Maria returned the favor in a pair of one-run contests at the Turley Athletic Complex on Friday, 3-2 and 2-1.
An improbable home run carried over the center field fence in the seventh inning to close game one and the Gyrenes (4-4, 0-0 TSC) held on in the late stages of the finale.
The Tritons (6-6, 0-0 SSC) stranded 14 runners on base to begin the twinbill, setting the tone for unusual offensive struggles after EC took two games at Ave Maria this season by a combined score of 17-2.
AMU's Jessenia Gonzalez, standing a diminutive 5-2, broke a seventh-inning tie with a deep drive to center field as the unlikely hero. EC freshman
Kirby Parnell was back at the wall as the ball deflected off her outstretched glove over the fence.
The solo shot capped a frustrating end to EC's rally after falling behind 2-0 by the end of the third inning.
Eckerd got one run back in the third after sophomore
Brittany Mitchell plated junior
Chelsea Jeffares on a groundout.
Mitchell added some extra-base flair in the fifth frame with senior
Kristen Schurr. Mitchell's triple to the right-field corner set the table for an RBI double by Schurr, her third this spring, as the game became knotted at 2-2.
But the Tritons couldn't capitalize further on seven walks issued by AMU starter Beth Vaccarezza. Eckerd stranded the bases loaded in both the first and third innings, while leaving two runners on the basepaths to close the fourth, sixth and seventh innings.
Junior starter
Whitney Bernier pitched a complete game with all three runs charged to her line in the defeat. Ave Maria's Janet Holtfreter relieved Vaccarezza and picked up the win.
After freshman shortstop
Kara Oberer launched three home runs in two games against Ave Maria, the Gyrenes pitched to the slugger with more caution.
Oberer doubled in the opener and drove in Eckerd's only run in game two to push her average up to .387. Her 11th run batted in this spring pushed Jeffares across to score in the bottom of the first for a temporary lead.
The Gyrenes manufactured the tying and go-ahead runs in the third with one swing on a two-run single by Marlie Braddy.
Ave Maria starter Sam Crews didn't allow a runner to get past second for the final six innings as she picked up the winning decision.
EC junior
Kaitlyn Dougherty allowed just two hits in 4 1/3 innings of strong relief. She took over after senior starter
Logan Rohrbach was victim of Braddy's two RBI hit.
The Tritons will return to action on Saturday to take on Warner University in more doubleheader action. The first game against the Royals is set to start at noon in Lake Wales.
