AVE MARIA, Fla. – Matched head-to-head for the second time this spring, the Eckerd College softball program emerged with a non-conference sweep on the road, taking down Ave Maria University on Wednesday by scores of 6-2 and 4-1.
The Tritons (18-15, 5-7 SSC) and Gyrenes (19-21, 1-3 TSC) split a twinbill back on Feb. 22 and rode the arms of junior starting pitchers
Erin Dixson and
Amber Hay as they combined to quiet the Ave Maria offense.
Dixson racked up her 11th victory in the circle this spring, officially tying herself for the second-best win total in single-season school history with Nicey Rizzo (1989) and Catherine Ardis (1997). She is just two away from matching the all-time best single-season win total of 13 by Kristina Lemon back in 2004.
Dixson and junior
Sydney Dinelli delivered key two-run hits in game two while sophomores
Kara Oberer and
Kaycie Duncan combined for five of the team's six hits in the opener.
Game 1 – Eckerd 6, Ave Maria 2Duncan enjoyed a three-hit effort, including an RBI triple down the line as part of a two-run fifth frame to help back Dixson's 14th complete game of the year.
Duncan also scored twice and Oberer was 2-for-4 at the plate with a run and RBI.
The Tritons overcame a first-inning run by the Gyrenes and tied the game up in the top of the third. EC would score in three consecutive innings before scoring two more in the seventh following a dropped ball on the infield.
After Duncan's one-out triple, Dixson plated her with a sacrifice fly RBI that gave the Tritons a 4-1 lead at the time.
Dixson was tagged for just two runs on seven hits as she nearly crossed the 120-inning threshold.
Game 2 – Eckerd 4, Ave Maria 1Hay continues to hover around the top of the EC single-season record books in her own regard, dropping her season earned run average down to 2.60.
If the season ended today, Hay's ERA this spring would rank third-best all-time, only behind the marks set by Heather Huff (2.54 in 1992) and Lindsay Sivard (2.01 in 2001). After going through a torrid streak at the plate last week that included her first home run, Hay yielded only three hits against the AMU offense.
The Tritons eventually solved AMU starter Emily Lemin, who had a one-hitter through five complete innings. After Lemin gave way to Kayla Sterling, EC made the Gyrenes pay in the sixth inning with a two-run double off the bat of Dixson and a two-run single sliced right-center by Dinelli.
Up Next: The Tritons will tackle No. 4 University of Tampa this weekend for a three-game series. Friday night's game will start at 6 p.m. followed by Saturday's doubleheader scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m.
