CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Eckerd College softball program closed the second day of the EC Spring Invitational with a pair of losses against Palm Beach Atlantic University, 8-1, and Lindenwood (Mo.) University, 9-6 (8 innings), on Saturday.
Heavy rains at the Eddie C. Moore Complex forced all 18 scheduled games to push back their original start time by two hours. As the afternoon progressed, the lineup continued to shift as the inclement weather began to take its toll on the individual fields and the playing surfaces.
The Tritons (0-4, 0-0 SSC) opened up tournament action against Colorado Christian University and Lynn University on Friday. Despite the bats heating up this afternoon, EC remains on a quest to collect its first win of the young spring season.
Against the Sailfish (2-0 overall), the Eckerd offense generated five hits, including an RBI double by sophomore
Kaycie Duncan in the top of the sixth inning.
PBA manufactured a three-run first inning and added two more runs in both the third and sixth frames. Leadoff hitter Stephanie Garrels was a home run shy of the cycle as she finished 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.
Freshman designated player Victoria Gonzalez drove in three runs with a 3-for-3 effort as part of the 12-hit Sailfish attack.
Eckerd looked to flip the script in the afternoon finale and had the Lions (2-1 overall) on their heels with a 6-2 lead heading into the sixth inning.
Duncan helped preserve a 2-2 tie game at the end of the third, laying out for a defensive web gem in left field to strand a pair of Lindenwood runners on base.
Senior
Chelsea Jeffares did it all at the plate, going opposite field and playing the pull with a triple down the right-field line and an RBI single through the left side of the infield. In one of the more bizarre sequences, she also stole home and dove in ahead of the late tag to escape a pickle down the third-base side.
Jeffares' two-run single up the middle keyed a three-run fifth inning as the Tritons took control late.
But a frustrating four-run Lindenwood rally would ensue in the top of the sixth inning with three possibilities occurring with the inning potentially ending without any damage done. With two outs in the inning, a double steal resulted in one run when it appeared a swipe tag from sophomore
Kara Oberer was in time to end the inning.
Lindenwood then put runners on the corners on a dropped strike three that rolled to the backstop and a fielding error in the next at-bat brought in one more run. Fresh off the bench, Christina Young promptly delivered a two-run game-tying single to send that would send the game into extras.
Another pinch-hitter, Alexis Theis, provided a two-run double in the top of the eighth that helped put the game away. EC ended up with 11 hits against Lindenwood's nine in the effort.
The Tritons will look to bounce back tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. vs. Lee (Tenn.) University. Field assignments and starting times are still subject to change due to weather conditions.
