LAKELAND, Fla. – In the process of putting the finishing touches on the best season in school history, the Eckerd College softball program suffered a heartbreaking 15-inning defeat that lasted over four hours in duration at Florida Southern College on Friday night, 5-4.
It marked the 11th time the Tritons (26-24, 9-12 SSC) have pushed their opponent to extra innings this spring, but the Moccasins (23-19, 9-13 SSC) tied the score three different times before generating the winning run late into the night.
With runners at first and second with two outs, Kim Booker delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 15th for Florida Southern as Jordan Alexander crossed home plate from second base.
A two-out, two-run double by junior
Erin Dixson that gave the Tritons a 3-1 lead was wiped out by a two-run equalizing home run by Hannah Loyer in the bottom half of the eighth inning.
The first error for either side was an impactful one as it resulted in another tying run for FSC in the bottom of the 10th inning.
The Tritons tightroped their way out of a precarious bases-loaded one-out situation in the bottom of the seventh with the Mocs initially bidding to record the walk-off win. But a fielder's choice groundout and a strikeout to end the threat pushed the game into the eighth inning.
Eckerd entered the weekend with a chance to re-write history for yet another time this season.
A three-game sweep against Florida Southern would have ultimately represented the Tritons' highest number of conference wins, shattering the longstanding mark of 11 set in 1987. Eckerd can still tie the single-season record with a doubleheader sweep at Barnett Field tomorrow afternoon.
The Tritons have already broken the record for wins in a single season, recorded the school's first three-game conference sweep (vs. Saint Leo) and
Josh Beauregard become the program's all-time winningest head coach as the spring winds down to a close.
Eckerd's first four hitters in the lineup recorded two hits apiece. Sophomore
Kaycie Duncan doubled twice and over half of EC's 12 hits on the night went for extra bases.
Sophomore
Kara Oberer had an RBI double while senior
Chelsea Jeffares added another extra-base hit in the form of a triple, her fourth of the year and 11th of her career that ties Coy Miler for the second-most in school history.
Not long removed from celebrating Senior Day against Barry University with teammates
Nazley Wilson and
Whitney Bernier, Jeffares is playing games No. 212, 213 and 214, against the Mocs to conclude her standout four-year career.
At the end of the weekend, she will be ranked fourth in games played all-time and also fourth in career doubles.
Junior
Amber Hay went above and beyond the call of duty, starting the game and later re-entering. All told, Hay exhausted a total of 12 innings in the pitcher's circle and was only charged with one earned run, striking out nine hitters.
The Tritons and Mocs will meet again tomorrow to conclude the regular season on short rest in time for a doubleheader set to start at 1 p.m.
