Box Score LAKELAND, Fla. - Heading into the weekend, the Eckerd softball team needed three wins in as many games to get to 30 for the second year in a row.
One down, two to go.
The Tritons (28-23-1, 10-12 SSC) broke a scoreless tie in the fourth with three runs and later gave
Nikole Van Gennep plenty of a cushion with a five-run seventh as Eckerd posted a 9-2 win in the series opener at Florida Southern.
After recording the first out of the fifth inning, Van Gennep (16-17) became the program's new leader in innings pitched in a season. She went the distance, allowing two runs on five hits on her way to surpassing
Amber Hay's innings pitched record of 217.2 set last season. The freshman also remains on pace to set a new single-season ERA record.
Eckerd got on the board in the top of the fourth via a two-run home run by
Rachael Luckett, her first of the season, and added a run-scoring single by
Stephanie Wolfrom to bring home
Carrie Shere from second.
Florida Southern (15-28-1, 7-14-1 SSC) plated a run in the bottom of the fourth, but the Tritons answered in the fifth after back-to-back doubles from
Kiley King and
Kaycie Duncan.
The Mocs pulled close in the sixth inning with a run to make it 4-2 before EC scored five times in the top of the seventh to essentially put the game out of reach. The Tritons did it with only two hits in the inning, drawing four walks to help create the scoring opportunities. Wolfrom added another RBI single in the inning while Van Gennep drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and
Dana Paul drew a bases-loaded walk.
Van Gennep then retired the side in the bottom of the frame to earn her 16th win of the season, the most ever by an Eckerd freshman.
The Tritons had nine hits in the game, led by a 3-for-4 performance from King while Wolfrom went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
The season concludes tomorrow with a double-header beginning at 1:00 PM.
