Box Score Box Score 2
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Eckerd softball team finished off its opening weekend on a high note, winning both of its games on Sunday as the Tritons took down Florida Southern, 3-2, before shutting out Lynn, 4-0.
Eckerd (2-1-1) got strong performances in the circle from both
Nikole Van Gennep and
Janna Gaburo, a good sign for a team that lost the majority of its pitching from last season.
Van Gennep, a freshman, earned her first college win in the first game of the day as she scattered seven hits and stranded eight Moccasins. Gaburo followed with her first win as a starter, giving up only three hits over 5-1/3 innings before giving way to Van Gennep to complete the shutout.
"Both of them had a phenomenal weekend," said EC head coach
Josh Beauregard. "We let them down a bit defensively, but they pitched how we wanted them to and executed our game plan."
In the first game of the day, the Tritons gave Van Gennep a lead to protect in the top of the fourth, something she helped to make happen. After drawing a walk with
Kaycie Duncan on third, Van Gennep stole second and FSC shortstop Makayla Deuberry mishandled the throw allowing Duncan to score from third. Two batters later, Gaburo brought in Van Gennep on a sacrifice fly.
An error led to a run for Florida Southern in the bottom of the inning when EC shortstop
Amanda Weathers dropped a wind-blown pop up with two outs. Van Gennep, though, struck out Dana Mackiewicz to strand the tying run on third.
FSC pitcher Hannah Loyer shut down the Tritons' bats for the next three innings, but Van Gennep (1-1) did the same to the Mocs to finish off the win.
Eckerd won despite recording three hits, but again showed extraordinary patience at the plate in drawing five walks. Two of those walks turned into runs.
Gaburo (1-0) picked up where Van Gennep left off, holding the Fighting Knights scoreless in the second game of the day through five innings. She ran into trouble in the sixth after an error and a double put runners on second and third with one out. Van Gennep entered in relief and retired the next two hitters to keep the shutout in tact.
Eckerd took the lead in the top of the second after a one-out triple by Van Gennep set the table for
Dana Paul to bring her home with an RBI groundout. The Tritons added to the lead in the fourth inning when Gaburo delivered a two-out, two-run double.
Duncan gave EC an insurance run in the seventh with a double that brought home
Emily Knox, who led off the inning with a walk.
The Tritons had seven hits in the final game, getting two apiece from Duncan, Van Gennep and
Carrie Shere. Eckerd also drew four walks off of Lynn pitcher Rachel Lightner (0-2).
In addition to earning the win in game two, Gaburo finished the day with four RBIs.
Beauregard felt good about the progress his team made over opening weekend.
"We're playing a lot of young kids, so we have to expect some miscues here and there," he said. "We got better as weekend went along."
The Tritons return to the field for their home opener on Wednesday, February 10, hosting Colorado Christian in a double-header beginning at 5:00 PM.
