CLEARWATER, Fla. – A rare triple play turned in the bottom of the eighth inning ended a frustrating spell for the Eckerd College softball team against Lee (Tenn.) University to close out the EC Spring Invitational on Sunday morning, 3-2.
With runners at second and third trailing by one run with no outs, the Tritons (0-5, 0-0 SSC) had aspirations of winning in walk-off style against the Lady Flames (3-3 overall), but the untimely defensive sequence that followed ultimately played a spoiling role.
A routine ground ball to short resulted in one out at first, but Lee was subsequently able to catch both runners in scoring position with applied tags during the rundown.
The Tritons committed five errors in the field as starting pitcher
Erin Dixson turned in a gem in the circle with her first complete-game effort. Dixson scattered eight hits over as many innings and was just tagged for one earned run.
After crushing the ball off the bat all tournament long, an overdue Syndey Dinelli delivered a two-out, two-run double to the deep alley in center field that gave the Tritons a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth.
But Lee evened the score at 2-2 in the next half due to a throwing error with two outs. With the bases loaded and no outs in the seventh, Dixson worked out of the jam, induced a line-drive double play and stranded all three runners to prevent the go-ahead run from scoring.
In the top of the eighth and the runner placed at second, Dixson retired the first two batters she faced before a throwing error on the third-base side allowed the go-ahead and eventual winning run to score in unearned fashion.
Lee's first two hitters of the game reached on infield singles and leadoff hitter Laurel Allen crossed home plate on an RBI grounder to second.
The Lady Flames' starting hurler, Angie Hughes, left the game after getting two outs. Hughes was struck in the forearm on a line drive off the bat of Dixson.
Hughes was relieved by Annabeth Pruett, who went 7 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on five hits.
A low-scoring affair unfolded early on as both teams combined to leave a total of 18 runners left on base.
Eckerd played Colorado Christian University, Lynn University, Palm Beach Atlantic University and Lindenwood (Mo.) University prior to wrapping up the eighth annual event at the Eddie C. Moore Complex today.
Today's game represented back-to-back contests pushed into extra innings after Lindenwood and Eckerd battled to an eight-frame decision yesterday.
The Tritons will be on the road for the first time on Wednesday afternoon in Babson Park to take on Webber International University during a doubleheader.
