ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – In a pair of extra-inning thrillers, the Eckerd College softball program bested Palm Beach Atlantic University with a climactic finish in the bottom of the 11th inning on Saturday.
The Tritons (23-20 overall) were resilient with their backs against the wall to pull out a 6-5 win in game two after nearly pulling off another comeback in the opener against the Sailfish (27-11 overall), who escaped with a 3-2 win in the eighth inning to begin the afternoon.
Kaycie Duncan and
Erin Dixson each slugged home runs while
Chelsea Jeffares doubled twice and
Kara Oberer matched three hits with three RBI in game two alone at the Turley Athletic Complex.
PBA was in the NFCA Top-25 Coaches' Poll just one week ago in the No. 24 slot of the national rankings.
Still, an Eckerd program that just recently shattered the program's single-season win record handed a familiar opponent a rare loss this spring.
EC and PBA previously squared off against each other earlier this year at the Eckerd-hosted Spring Invitational in Clearwater.
A combined 19 innings turned into a lengthy afternoon for both sides at the Turley Athletic Complex as game one lasted nearly two hours and game two featured a duration of three hours and 13 minutes.
Game 1 – Palm Beach Atlantic 3, Eckerd 2 (8 innings)The Tritons roared back from a two-run deficit with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to force extra play.
The Sailfish manufactured the winning run in the eighth following an RBI double and held off Eckerd in the bottom of the frame.
Kayti Lundin and Amber Johnson combined for a two-hitter as
Brittany Martinez and
Sydney Dinelli each recorded singles. Duncan also walked twice and scored a run.
Game 2 – Eckerd 6, Palm Beach Atlantic 5 (11 innings)The Tritons had an answer in the bottom of the seventh and 10th innings before pushing across the game-winning run with one out in the tail end of the 11th frame.
A total of 29 combined hits were recorded by EC and PBA as the Sailfish eased out to a 4-1 lead at the end of five innings. The Tritons drew one run closer on Duncan's solo blast in the sixth and tied it up with the team down to its final out on Oberer's two-run double.
After Eckerd left the bases loaded in the eighth, both teams exchanged a scoreless ninth before PBA scratched across what appeared to be another game-winning score.
But Dixson launched her team-leading seventh home run into orbit with one out in the 10th. Following a double and single, the Tritons scored the game winner walk-off style after runners were at the corner on a throwing error after Jeffares crossed home plate.
Up Next: The Tritons wrap up the regular-season home portion of the schedule this weekend with a three-game series against Barry University. Senior Day will be on Saturday in between the 11 a.m. doubleheader.
