Shere Drives in Six, Tritons Split Twinbill With Barry

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MIAMI SHORES, Fla. - Carrie Shere had a home run and four RBIs while Chelsea Armstrong drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh, leading the Eckerd softball team to a 5-3 win over Barry University in the series finale on Saturday.

The win helped Eckerd (16-27, 5-13 SSC) take the weekend series from the Bucs after Barry won Saturday's opening game, 7-2.

Shere put the Tritons ahead early in the finale, blasting a three-run homer on a full count with two outs in the top of the first.

Eckerd maintained the lead until the sixth inning, though the Bucs' Lynsey Duncan held the Tritons scoreless after entering in the third.  Barry scored its first run on a squeeze bunt in the third and tied the game in the sixth on a two-out, two-run home run by Maddy VonHagel.

However, the Tritons had an answer in the seventh.

Crystal Garcia led off the inning with a bunt single and moved to second when Rachael Luckett reached on an error.  That set the stage for Armstrong, who lined the first pitch she saw down the left field line and brought in Garcia for the go-ahead run.

Shere later followed with a sacrifice fly to score Luckett for an insurance run.

But one run was all Nikole Van Gennep (11-16) needed as she retired the side in the home half of the inning to complete the win.

Grace Willeck threw five strong innings, allowing one run and striking out three, before giving way to Van Gennep in the sixth.

In the day's opener, it was the Bucs who received a three-run home run in the first inning and they rode that momentum for the rest of the game.

Eckerd scored in the top of the first where Shere drew a bases-loaded walk but was held scoreless over the next five innings by Anieliese Palmerio.  The Bucs added a run in the second and three in the fifth to take a 7-1 lead.

Shere delivered an RBI double in the top of the seventh for EC's final run of the game.

Van Gennep took the loss, allowing all seven runs in 4-1/3 innings pitched.

Luckett went 3-for-3 in the opener while Van Gennep had a pair of hits.  Shere drove in a total of six runs in the doubleheader.

The Tritons return to the field next week visiting Florida Tech for a three-game series beginning on Thursday.