No. 4 Tampa Escapes With Doubleheader Wins Against Softball, 2-0 and 2-1

TAMPA, Fla. – Fourth-ranked University of Tampa held off the upset-minded Eckerd College softball program in a pair of tightly-contested rescheduled games by 2-0 and 2-1 scores on Sunday.

After being delayed by lightning and postponed by rain on Saturday, the Tritons (18-18, 5-10 SSC) and Spartans (27-4, 15-3 SSC) met again as Tampa squeezed out the series-opening win on Friday night.

Tampa had to muster a seventh-inning rally to emerge with the winning run in game two while riding a two-hit shutout in the opener from the arm of Julia Morrow.

No earned runs were charged to either team in both games as EC's Erin Dixson and UT's Kayla Cox went head-to-head in the pitcher's circle to close out the afternoon and junior Amber Hay more than held her own in the opener.

Following the three-game sweep, the Spartans maintained their comfortable distance at the top of the Sunshine State Conference standings between current runner-up Rollins College.

Game 1 – Tampa 2, Eckerd 0

Morrow struck out 10 hitters as part of the potent 1-2 pitching punch formed with Cox. She gave up two hits and walked one while the Spartans backed her up with two runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Hay scattered both unearned runs in a six-inning complete game effort. She struck out four and walked one.

After spoiling a no-hit bid on Friday night, senior Chelsea Jeffares singled and junior Sydney Dinelli also reached Morrow for a base hit.

UT's Lindsay Dring delivered a decisive two-run single after the inning began with an error.

Game 2 – Tampa 2, Eckerd 1

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Spartans overcame a one-run deficit by loading the bases with no outs.

The Tritons scored the initial go-ahead run in the top of the fourth inning as sophomore Kaycie Duncan singled and later scored on an errant throw.

Dixson retired the side in order in both the fifth and sixth innings protecting the one-run advantage before a single and consecutive hit-by-pitch sequences spelled trouble in the seventh.

Dixson only gave up four hits and recorded a pair of strikeouts as she dueled Cox for the second time in three days. Cox struck out eight batters while giving up an unearned run on two hits.

Up Next: The Tritons continue their extensive stretch on the road with a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday at Southeastern University. Game one is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.