ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Walk-off wins are hard to come by, but the Eckerd softball team did it twice on Friday at the Turley Athletic Complex completing a series sweep of Nova Southeastern.
After trailing 2-0 through the fifth inning in the opener, Eckerd scored one run in the sixth and tied the game in the seventh on a
Nikole Van Gennep homerun. The Tritons then loaded the bases in the eighth with
Kaleigh Floyd drawing a walk to tie the game before
Chelsea Armstrong delivered a game-winning single to center.
In the finale, the Tritons again trailed to begin the game but scored runs in the third and fourth innings to tie the score at 2-2. The game went into extra innings yet again, setting the stage for
Janna Gaburo's two-out walk-off homerun to left field for the win.
HOW IT ENDED
Game One
Final: Eckerd 4, Nova Southeastern 3 (8 Innings)
Records: Eckerd 16-18 (7-10 SSC), Nova Southeastern 16-18 (5-9 SSC)
WP: Gaburo (2-3)
LP: Sprengers (6-4)
HR: Sprengers (1), Edmundson 2 (3), Van Gennep (2)
Game Two
Final: Eckerd 3, Nova Southeastern 2 (8 Innings)
Records: Eckerd 17-18 (8-10 SSC), Nova Southeastern 16-19 (5-10 SSC)
WP: Van Gennep (12-9)
LP: Storrer (9-13)
HR: Gaburo (1)
KEY MOMENTS
Game One
- Nova Southeastern scored all of its runs in the game via solo homeruns. Dominique Sprengers led off the second inning with a homer to left while Dana Edmundson led off the fourth inning with a homerun to center as Nova took a 2-0 lead through the fourth inning.
- Eckerd got on the board in the sixth inning with one run. After a leadoff walk to Armstrong, the Tritons got back-to-back singles from Dana Paul and Crystal Garcia to load the bases before Kaylin Kramer chopped a grounder to second base driving in pinch-runner Carly Coleman.
- Trailing 2-1 entering the seventh inning, Van Gennep evened the score with a solo homer to center.
- NSU took a brief lead in the eighth inning with another solo homerun by Edmundson before the Tritons took the win in the bottom of the frame.
- Eckerd used a two-out rally to load the bases and score both the tying and winning runs in the eighth. After pinch-hitter Hannah Famiano led off the a double, Kramer reached on a fielder's choice on a failed squeeze bunt that saw Famiano narrowly cut down at the plate. Kramer soon advanced to third following a Kayelee Newstrom single and an intentional walk to Van Gennep. Floyd tied the score drawing a bases-loaded walk on four straight pitches. After a Sharks pitching change mid-count, Armstrong delivered a sharp single to center on a full count driving in Newstrom for the walk-off win.
Game Two
- Nova Southeastern took a 2-0 lead in the second inning, scoring first for the third time in the series. Sydney Lageyre drove in the first run with a bases-loaded infield single while Kailynn Blackwood drove in the second run on a fielder's choice as the runner from third slid under the throw at the plate.
- After loading the bases in the third inning, Eckerd tacked on one run. Armstrong drove in Newstrom as she crossed on a fielder's choice with the play at second.
- The Tritons evened the score at 2-2 in the following inning. Kramer hit a two-out double to right center and Famiano drove her in with a single up the middle.
- Both teams offense went quietly over the next three innings to send the game into extra innings.
- Gaburo gave Eckerd the walk-off win with a solo homerun smashed over the left-field fence with two outs in the home half of the eighth.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Gaburo picked up her second win of the season in the opener, throwing five innings of relief allowing one run. In the series, Gaburo threw 7.2 innings of relief allowing just two hits and one run. Van Gennep earned her 12th win of the season throwing a complete game, scattering five hits and two runs in the finale.
- Armstrong led Eckerd at the plate in the opener with three hits while Paul and Newstrom each had two hits. In the finale, Gaburo led Eckerd with three hits while Newstrom again had two.
- Both Van Gennep and Garcia extended their reached base streaks in the first game to 16 and 12 respectively as both had hits but both streaks snapped in the finale. With a hit in every game of the series Newstrom now has a six-game hitting streak.
- The Tritons have now won their past three conference series, marking the first time since 2015 Eckerd has won three consecutive SSC series. The Tritons also moved to fifth place in the SSC standings after they entered the week in 10th.
UP NEXT
Eckerd returns to action next weekend traveling to Lynn for a three-game series starting with a single game Friday at 3:00 PM.
