ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Senior
Chelsea Jeffares delivered game-winning heroics in walk-off style, blooping a single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning to send the Eckerd College softball program over Florida Tech on Friday night, 1-0.
Junior
Erin Dixson dazzled with eight shutout innings, outdueling her counterpart from Florida Tech, Rachel Pence, who had a no-hit bid spoiled in the fifth inning after a pinch-hit infield single by freshman
Alex Barone.
After taking two of three from last weekend's series against Nova Southeastern University, Eckerd now finds itself perched in second place in the updated Sunshine State Conference standings only behind No. 7 University of Tampa.
The Tritons (12-7, 3-1 SSC) are now winners in 12 of their last 14 games and gave a well-timed birthday present to their head coach
Josh Beauregard on a windy night that had temperatures barely above 50 degrees.
The Panthers (16-8, 2-2 SSC) were ranked 18th in the previous NFCA Top-25 Coaches Poll, but dropped into the receiving votes category after the latest edition was released.
Jeffares came into today's game as one of the top 10 hitters in the Sunshine State Conference and was playing her first game since receiving SSC Player of the Week honors.
Before Jeffares' walk-off RBI hit, sophomores
Kirby Parnell and
Brittany Martinez both flared singles to the left-center gap to reach base. After a fielder's choice -- in which Pence attempted to erase the leadoff runner -- loaded up the bases with no outs, Jeffares came through.
The Tritons consistently worked the counts deep against Pence, a freshman with a perfect game, NFCA/Louisville Slugger National Pitcher of the Week honors and a trio of SSC Pitcher of the Week selections, under her belt already this spring.
Pence recently shut down the SSC-leading Spartans from Tampa, but the Tritons reached her for the decisive run.
After a Florida Tech double to lead off the seventh inning, Dixson was dialed in and stranded a runner at third base with no outs in the inning. She retired seven straight in the middle innings and retired the side in order with three consecutive groundouts in two different frames.
Dixson is now ranked third in the SSC in wins (seven), fourth innings pitched (72.1) and second in complete games (eight). She effectively lowered her season ERA down to 2.23 in her 11th start of the spring.
The Tritons and Panthers will conclude their three-game series with a doubleheader at the Turley Athletic Complex tomorrow afternoon. The first pitch of game one will get underway at 1 p.m.
