ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Eckerd College softball program made its first homestand of the spring at the Turley Athletic Complex a memorable one, coming back in both contests to sweep a doubleheader against Simon Fraser (B.C.) University on Saturday, 6-5 and 11-4.
The Tritons (4-5, 0-0 SSC) have won four in a row after bringing out the brooms in a midweek twinbill at Webber International University. The Canadian-based Clan (0-7 overall) remain in search of their first win of the season after playing five games in Las Vegas.
Sophomore
Kaycie Duncan was a combined 6-for-7 on the plate with four runs batted in, two runs scored and a double. Her game-winning walk-off shot with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning propelled Eckerd past the Clan to help avoid extra innings.
Junior pitchers
Erin Dixson and
Amber Hay each earned their second winning decision with complete games in the circle and were backed up by a .389 (21-of-54) team average counting both games from today.
Head Coach
Josh Beauregard continues his march towards 100 career wins, picking up No. 93 and 94 following his team's sweep today.
Game 1: Eckerd 6, Simon Fraser 5
Facing a payoff pitch, Duncan laced a double low to the ground in the right-center gap to plate sophomore
Kara Oberer from first to cap a wild four-run Eckerd rally.
After the Clan pushed four runs across in the top of the fourth inning, the Tritons got on the board in the bottom half of the inning as junior
Sydney Dinelli had a sacrifice fly to deep left.
The Tritons grabbed their first lead in the sixth inning, 5-4, with four runs on four hits as junior
Carolyn Griffin delivered a clutch two-run double in yet another full count to drive in the tying run in
Brittany Mitchell and go-ahead run with
Nazley Wilson, who was serenaded with birthday wishes from her teammates afterwards.
Earlier in the inning, Dinelli, who homered and doubled on Wednesday at Webber International, ripped a two-run single to the right-center gap to bring the Tritons within one run.
Eckerd pounded out 12 hits in the opener against the combination of Simon Fraser's Jessica Goulet and Mackenzie Bender, including three from Duncan and two each from Dinelli and Oberer.
Dixson scattered seven hits over seven innings and fanned three batters.
Game 2: Eckerd 11, Simon Fraser 4
The Tritons scored 10 unanswered runs after falling behind early and pulled away in the late innings due to timely hitting and a flurry of defensive miscues by the Clan.
After both teams traded a run in the first inning, Simon Fraser added three more in the top of the third to take a 4-1 advantage. But Eckerd had an answer in their next series of plate appearances and manufactured four runs on four hits to take a 5-4 edge.
Simon Fraser allowed two runs to score on passed balls and another airmailed throw into center field with runners on first and third plated one more.
Duncan finished the game a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate while senior
Chelsea Jeffares had a pair of hits and scored twice from the leadoff spot.
Hay worked seven strong innings and struck out three while stranding a total of five Simon Fraser runners on base.
Up Next: The Tritons face another The Sun Conference opponent on Wednesday, taking on Warner University in Lake Wales for a 1 p.m. afternoon doubleheader.
