Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Eckerd College softball program engineered a four-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning to headline a doubleheader split at home against Warner University on an increasingly chilly evening, winning 5-4 and falling 4-5.
The Tritons (7-9, 0-0 SSC) trailed 4-1 before going to work against Warner game one starter Heather Knoop in the home half of the seventh inning.
An RBI double to the right-center gap by senior
Kristen Schurr and an RBI bunt single from freshman
Amanda Green prompted a pitching change as the Tritons made it a 4-3 game.
Junior
Kaitlyn Dougherty greeted new Warner reliever Lindsay Martin with a game-tying RBI single down the left-field line to knot things up at 4-4.
With the bases loaded and still no outs, the Tritons plated the winning run on a wild pitch by Martin with the potential to do much more damage.
EC scored four runs on five hits in the seventh to highlight the walk-off win.
But the Royals (5-3, 0-0 TSC) put together a rally of their own in the finale to force the twinbill split, coming back from a 3-2 deficit in the top half of the seventh.
Down to their final out and final pitch with a full count, Shannon Cataldo cleared the bases on a payoff pitch with a ringing three-run double to catapulted Warner in front, 5-3.
The bases-loaded situation developed after a routine grounder turned into an error to keep the inning alive. All three runs were unearned against the line of junior
Whitney Bernier, who started and relieved against the Royals.
EC got one of the runs back in the bottom half of the seventh, a towering solo home run by freshman
Kara Oberer, but a double play after ended the game. For Oberer, it was her fifth homer of the spring.
Martin would start game two and re-enter for the Royals in relief of Miranda Wrinkle, who cruised with four shutout innings in relief.
Leadoff hitter Tabatha Martin went 3-for-4 as Warner and Eckerd each pounded out eight hits to close the doubleheader.
The Tritons put two runs on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the first inning, but the Royals got them back in the top of the second.
After Schurr began the sixth with a leadoff walk, she would advance on a Dougherty single and stolen base, eventually scoring the go-ahead run on another wild pitch by Martin.
The Tritons are back at the Turley Athletic Complex early on Saturday morning against Northwood University at 10 a.m. for another doubleheader. Due to other scheduled home events during the day, video and audio will not be streamed. Live stats will still be available.
