Clutch Hitting, Pitching Aids Tritons in Split with Southeastern

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd softball team got timely hitting and pitching in the second game of its home-opening doubleheader on Wednesday, splitting the twinbill with NAIA No. 3 Southeastern (Fla.) losing the first game, 3-2, before winning the nightcap, 4-3.

Rachael Luckett smashed a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the third in game two, and Carrie Shere and Amber Schaad both delivered run-scoring hits in the fifth with Schaad's single giving Eckerd the lead for good.

Meanwhile, Grace Willeck (1-1) worked 5-2/3 effective innings in the circle before giving way to freshman Madison Saltzman in the sixth.

Saltzman made her first college appearance one to remember, stranding two runners after relieving Willeck in the sixth and keeping the Fire (3-1) off the board in the seventh to earn the save.

Southeastern took a 1-0 lead after the second inning before Luckett's blast gave Eckerd the lead.  The Fire again retook the lead after runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but EC answered in the bottom of the frame as Shere doubled home Nikole Van Gennep and Schaad singled in Luckett with what turned out to be the winning run.

In the opener, Southeastern broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the top of the seventh and Lindsie Scholwinski retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning to seal the win.

Luckett's RBI double got the Tritons on the board in the bottom of the first, and the score remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth when SEU's Sydnie Malloy led off with a home run.  The Fire took the lead later in the inning with a two-out single, but EC bounced back to tie the game in the sixth when Chelsea Armstrong singled in a run with the bases loaded and two outs.

However, Southeastern got a leadoff double from Cheyenne Blaha in the seventh and she eventually came around to score the decisive run.

Van Gennep and Luckett had two hits in each game while Armstrong had two in the second game and extended her on-base streak to six games.  Van Gennep (1-3) took the loss in the circle in the opener, allowing three runs on eight hits.

The Tritons have a tall task ahead of them this weekend at the NFCA First Pitch Classic in Clearwater, facing two nationally-ranked teams.  Eckerd plays twice on Friday at 12:00 PM and 2:30 PM.