ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd softball team hits the road for the first time this season as the Tritons pay a visit to Warner University for a double-header beginning at noon on Saturday.
GAMES 7-8: Eckerd (4-1-1) at Warner (1-1)
COVERAGE: Live StatsCIRCLE SUCCESS: Eckerd lost 93 percent of its innings thrown last season in the circle, leaving a big gap to fill entering the new year. So far freshman
Nikole Van Gennep and sophomore
Janna Gaburo have stepped in to fill that void nicely. Both have microscopic ERAs (1.21 for Gaburo, 1.24 for Van Gennep) as they bring different styles to the circle. Van Gennep has been more overpowering with 15 strikeouts in 22.2 innings pitched, while Gaburo makes it hard to opponents to hit the ball with any power. The two have combined to issue just five walks in 40 innings pitched.
GOING YARD: The Tritons got their first home runs of the year on Wednesday, both in game one of a double-header with Colorado Christian. Gaburo hit a solo shot to right field for her first career home run and
Carrie Shere followed with a go-ahead, three-run home run in the sixth. Gaburo has been a surprising source of power so far with a team-best .600 slugging percentage.
REACHING BASE: Eckerd has shown remarkable patience at the plate this season with 22 walks drawn in six games. That patience has helped the Tritons to a .399 on-base percentage with five players boasting an OBP of .476 or above.
DOUBLE UP: The Tritons ripped five doubles in their last game, getting two each from
Chelsea Armstrong and
Rachael Luckett and one from
Emily Knox. EC has 11 doubles as a team so far this season.
