Box Score ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A two-run seventh inning by Florida Southern gave the Mocs the weekend sweep of the Eckerd softball team on Saturday, winning the series finale, 4-3, at the Turley Athletic Complex.
Florida Southern's go-ahead run came in a bit of a controversial fashion. Â With runners on second and third, Eckerd's
Nikole Van Gennep was called for an illegal pitch allowing each runner to advance.
The Mocs (7-3, 3-0 SSC) then brought in a second run on a successful squeeze bunt laid down by Erica Morrissey to make the score 4-2.
Carrie Shere led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and eventually came around to score thanks to a pair of wild pitches and an RBI groundout by
Kaleigh Floyd. Â However, Eckerd was unable to bring in the tying run as Kelli Gault struck out
Crystal Garcia to end the game.
The Tritons (7-9, 0-3 SSC) took the lead in the bottom of the third after Shere blasted a solo home run to open the inning. Â Garcia then tripled with two outs and came in to score on a single by
Rachael Luckett.
Eckerd maintained a 2-0 lead until the top of the fifth when Jessica Trana delivered a two-out, two-run single to tie the game.
Gault ran into trouble in the bottom of the sixth as EC put runners on first and second, but she escaped by coaxing a pop-up to end the threat before the Tritons could retake the lead.
FSC then put its first two batters on base in the top of the seventh ahead of the illegal pitch call, and both came in to score the game's decisive runs.
Van Gennep (4-7) took the loss allowing two earned runs in seven innings of work. Â Gault (3-0) stayed perfect on the season after relieving Mocs starter Hannah Loyer to start the fourth.
Shere went 2-for-3 and scored both of Eckerd's runs. Garcia, Luckett and Floyd also had hits for the Tritons.
Eckerd's road gets no easier next weekend at the D9 Citrus Classic in Kissimmee where the Tritons will play four of their five games at the tournament against NFCA Top 10 teams.Â
