Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A 45-minute lightning delay forced early cancelation of a Sunshine State Conference series opener between the Eckerd College softball program, a five-inning final going in favor of No. 10 Rollins College on Friday night, 7-0.
At 8:07 p.m., the suspension of play was in effect before additional forecasted weather forced the hand of coaches and officials to make the call. Just before 9 p.m., the game was officially declared final.
The Tars (30-4, 7-3 SSC) scattered three home runs against the Tritons (14-20, 2-8 SSC) while scoring three runs each in the top of the first and fourth innings.
RC freshman ace Niki Fogle pitched five innings of two-hit ball, striking out nine and allowing just one walk. The SSC's second-leading strikeout artist also collected her conference-best 16th win of the spring.
The Tritons spoiled Fogle's no-hit bid early thanks a bunt single by junior
Chelsea Jeffares in the second at-bat of the evening for EC. Freshman
Kaycie Duncan also blooped an infield single to lead off the second, but the offense couldn't string together a series of hits to put Fogle on the ropes.
Rollins' Jessica Gipson hit a two-run homer to straight-away center field as part of the three-run first frame, her fourth of the season.
Hilary Brown added a solo shot to lead off the top half of the second inning to opposite field right center and Veronica Alred drilled a three-run shot pulled over the left-field fence in the fourth inning.
As a team, Rollins leads the SSC in total home runs with 23 combined between all players.
Junior
Kaitlyn Dougherty began the game for Eckerd in the pitcher's circle, but her season record dipped to 3-6 after yielding three runs on four hits.
Senior
Logan Rohrbach pitched admirably in relief, tossing a total of three innings, while junior
Whitney Bernier would most likely have come on to work the top half of the sixth before the delay.
The Tritons and Tars will meet again at the Turley Athletic Complex for a Saturday afternoon doubleheader tomorrow. Game one is projected to get underway at 1 p.m.
