Tritons Split Doubleheader with Palm Beach Atlantic

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Nikole Van Gennep fired a three-hit shutout helping the Triton softball team split a doubleheader on Saturday against Palm Beach Atlantic, winning 3-0 in game one before dropping the series finale by the same score.

Eckerd (9-15) scored twice in the fifth inning of the opener to break a scoreless tie.  After Kaleigh Floyd reached on an error and Rachael Luckett singled to put runners at the corners, Chelsea Armstrong laid down a successful squeeze bunt to bring Floyd across the plate.  

Van Gennep then doubled to left, driving in Luckett to give the Tritons a 2-0 lead.

EC added an insurance run in the sixth when Crystal Garcia drove a single up the middle with two outs, scoring Kayelee Newstrom from second.

Van Gennep (6-11) took care of the rest in the circle, not allowing a hit until the fourth and staying out of trouble until the seventh.  The Sailfish loaded the bases with one out after two singles and a walk, but Van Gennep coaxed a grounder to Kiley King at second who cut down a runner at the plate.  She then got Brianna Skipper to pop up to end the game.

Garcia led Eckerd at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance while Floyd, Luckett, Van Gennep and Newstrom each had one hit apiece.

The second game was a mirror image of the first as neither team scored in the first four innings.  This time, however, PBA (11-8) struck first in the top of the fifth after a two-out double by Kayla Knight drove in Michaela Hynes.

The Sailfish added two more in the top of the seventh, again with two outs, after a throwing error by Grace Willeck allowed both runners to score.

Ashton Adkins, meanwhile, threw her second one-hitter of the weekend with Armstrong accounting for EC's lone base hit, a single in the sixth.

Willeck (2-2) took the loss in game two, allowing eight hits while striking out five.

The Tritons return to action on Wednesday, hosting Quincy (Ill.) for two games beginning at 4:00 PM.