Box Score vs. Georgia College
Box Score vs. Colorado Christian University
CLEARWATER, Fla. - With theatrics unfolding in the latter stages of each contest, the Eckerd College softball program emerged with a pair of memorable victories to begin the EC Spring Invitational, edging Georgia College and Colorado Christian University, 6-5 and 7-5 (11 innings), on Friday.
The Tritons (5-1, 0-0 SSC) played the first two games of six scheduled this weekend at the Eddie C. Moore Complex, both on field 5.
Senior third baseman
Kristen Schurr delivered a game-winning walk-off RBI single up the middle with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to get the afternoon started against the Bobcats (4-2, 0-0 PBC) of Georgia College.
The nightcap featured a near three-hour contest as extra innings unfolded against the Cougars (0-2 overall) when Eckerd rose to the occasion to outlast its opponent.
Georgia College outhit the Tritons in the opener, 11-6, and took a 3-1 lead in the top of the third inning after EC couldn't capitalize on a bases-loaded situation with no outs in first frame.
EC scored four runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth after junior
Chelsea Jeffares started things off with a single to shallow left center. Junior
Ashleigh Bynum contributed a pinch-hit RBI in her first at-bat of the season and freshman
Kirby Parnell capped the scoring with a run-scoring single that had EC in the driver's seat up 5-3.
Parnell also doubled down the left-field line and came around to score in the third inning.
The Bobcats fought back in the top half of the seventh to tie with an RBI triple, but the Tritons benefited from a bobbled ball at first base following a dropped swinging third strike.
Schurr stepped in and lined a single up the box to plate Jeffares as she slid head first underneath the tag of GC's catcher.
Junior
Kaitlyn Dougherty took the reins in relief after senior
Logan Rohrbach forged through 2 2/3 innings with the start. Dougherty earned the winning decision, allowing one earned run over 4 1/3 innings in her first appearance in the circle this spring.
Against CCU, a program in just its second year of existence, EC's
Whitney Bernier and the Cougars' Mariah Bledsoe engaged in a fierce pitchers' duel. Bernier scattered nine hits in 9 2/3 innings during the while yielding a pair of earned runs in the no-decision.
Tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, the Tritons and Cougars swapped one run each in the eighth and ninth frames following the international tie-break rule going into effect (runner starts the inning at second base).
After it looked like the Tritons would clinch the win with a two-run 10th, CCU countered with two runs with its back against the wall to force another inning of play.
Rohrbach came in and inherited two runners on and with two out in the bottom of the 10th with the winning runs on base. She fell behind 3-0 in the count against CCU's No. 3 hitter, Alyssa Zimmerman, but came back to work the count full and get a key punchout to push the game to the 11th.
The Tritons reverted to small ball and it paid off after a pair of fielding miscues at the corner helped EC manufacture two more runs in the top half of the 11th.
That's when freshman
Kaycie Duncan recorded a huge second out in CCU's last turn at the plate to help seal the deal, laying out in foul territory by left field to snare a sinking line drive. Duncan's stab was part of a 1-2-3 inning worked by Rohrbach as she earned her first victory of the season.
The Tritons will begin Saturday's festivities on field 1 with a pair of challenges against No. 10 Columbus State (Ga.) University at 11 a.m. and Palm Beach Atlantic University scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. first pitch.
Live stats and a free audio broadcast for both games of the tournament will be streamed on EckerdTritons.com.
