Box Score
MELBOURNE, Fla. – Florida Tech scored early and often to overcome a first-inning deficit and separate itself from the Eckerd College softball program on Friday afternoon to begin a three-game weekend series, 10-2 (5 innings).
The Tritons (14-15, 2-5 SSC) and Panthers (18-12, 5-2 SSC) met earlier than usual for a Friday contest at Nancy Bottge Field due to no lights at the facility. Florida Tech won its ninth straight contest in a row this season.
After winning a conference series last weekend at Nova Southeastern University, the Tritons made the most out of limited at-bats before the eight-run rule came into effect in the fifth frame.
Freshman
Kara Oberer and sophomore
Brittany Mitchell each went 2-for-3 at the plate while Florida Tech drew six walks and scored their 10 runs on nine hits.
Eckerd generated the first run of the game in their first trip at the plate against FIT starter Amanda Smith.
After sophomore
Sabrina Lolo set the table with a leadoff walk, Oberer singled and Mitchell came through with two outs, singling up the middle. Lolo scored to chase Smith early as the Tritons backed their pitching staff with run support.
Oberer also doubled in the third, her eighth of the spring. She came into today as the SSC's category leader in home runs and ranked second runs batted in.
The Panthers put three runs on the board in the first inning, scored four more in the third capped by a bases-clearing double by Amanda Bueno, and plated three more runs in the fourth frame.
FIT's Kara Dickinson, Taylor Peterson and Ashley Montion, each had RBI's in the bottom of the first to chase EC starter
Whitney Bernier after two outs had been recorded.
Freshman
Kaycie Duncan drove in her 16th run of the spring to pull EC back to within one run in the third.
Dickinson was a thorn in EC's side with a perfect 2-for-2 line that included three runs, a walk, an RBI and a double, on the day. She began the four-run third with a double before Bueno dealt the two-out blow with a three-run double.
Nicole Shinsky completed most of the offensive damage in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run double before another RBI single by Montion helped end the game early.
Smith moved to 11-5 on the season with a six-strikeout effort after allowing both runs on seven hits.
Senior
Logan Rohrbach and Mitchell were summoned in relief and tossed a combined 3 1/3 innings.
The Tritons and Panthers will resume the series tomorrow afternoon with a doubleheader. Game one is projected to get underway at 1 p.m.
