WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Freshman
Ally Costa turned in a stellar performance in the circle, but a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh completed a series sweep for No. 13 Palm Beach Atlantic with a 2-1 defeat of the Tritons on Sunday.
Eckerd took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning and held it until the Sailfish tied the game with a run in the sixth before getting a two-out game-winning hit by Maddie Bertisch.
Pitching just minutes from her hometown of Jupiter, Costa carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Palm Beach Atlantic 2, Eckerd 1
Records: Eckerd 10-14 (1-8 SSC), Palm Beach Atlantic 16-2 (9-0 SSC)
WP: Adkins (6-1) Â
LP: Willeck (1-2)
KEY MOMENTS
- After three scoreless innings from both pitchers to begin the game, the Tritons broke through in the top of the fourth. Â Kaleigh Floyd led off the inning with a single and stole second, then moved to third on a Chelsea Armstrong single. Â Carrie Shere then laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to bring Floyd home.
- Costa cruised through five innings allowing no hits and two walks. Â Her no-hit bid ended in the sixth when pinch-hitter Alexis Guerra singled to lead off the frame.
- Guerra's single led to PBA's first run when Michaela Hynes' line drive went just over the glove of Armstrong at third, scoring Guerra to tie the game. Â Grace Willeck helped get Eckerd out of the jam, retiring the first two batters she faced in the inning to strand two.
- After Eckerd's side was retired in order in the top of the seventh, the Sailfish again opened the bottom half with a single. An error put two on with no outs, and a sacrifice bunt moved the winning run to third. Â Willeck got an infield pop-up for the second out, but Bertisch lofted a ball into shallow left field that fell a mere inches in front of a diving Kayelee Newstrom.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- With her single in the fifth, Crystal Garcia has now hit safely in 13 of her last 15 games.
- Floyd went 2-for-3 for the second straight game to raise her batting average to .354. Â It was her ninth multi-hit game of the season.
- Palm Beach Atlantic extended its winning streak to 13 games.
UP NEXT
The Tritons travel to take on Flagler (Fla.) on Wednesday for a doubleheader beginning at 4:00 PM.