BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Eckerd softball team fell at Lynn Friday nights in an extra-inning affair to open a three-game conference series.
Eckerd jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the opening frame while adding to the lead late in the game to hold a 5-2 advantage in the seventh inning. The Fighting Knights, however, tied the game in the seventh inning with a three-run homer with two outs and later scored the win on a sacrifice fly in the 10th.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Lynn 6, Eckerd 5 (10 Innings)
Records: Eckerd 17-19 (8-11 SSC), Lynn 20-19 (8-11 SSC)
WP: Olexa (8-7)
LP: Van Gennep (12-10)
HR: Sheffield 2
KEY MOMENTS
- Eckerd jumped ahead early scoring three runs in the opening frame with its first run coming just three pitches into the game. After Nikole Van Gennep led off with a double, Kaleigh Floyd singled on a bunt to third and after two Fighting Knight throwing errors on the bunt, Van Gennep scored. Crystal Garcia drove in the next run with a single down the left field line scoring Floyd. Janna Gaburo plated the final run with a single to centerfield driving in Chelsea Armstrong who reached on an error.
- Lynn tacked on a run in the bottom of the inning. After a single, error, and hit by pitch loaded the bases to start the inning, the Fighting Knights drove in one run with a sacrifice fly but Van Gennep worked out of the jam.
- Both teams' bats went quiet over the next several innings, although Lynn scored another run in the fourth inning on a Kayla Sheffield solo homerun.
- Eckerd extended its lead to 4-2 in the fifth inning as Floyd scored following a Lynn error on a Garcia grounder.
- The Tritons added an insurance run in the seventh inning. Armstrong and Dana Paul drew walks while Garcia singled to load the bases for the Tritons. Kaylin Kramer singled up the middle to score Carly Coleman, who was pinch-running for Armstrong.
- Lynn, however, evened the score in the bottom of the frame. Two Fighting Knight singles set the stage for Sheffield, who hit her second homer of the game. This time, it was a three-run shot to tie the game and send it into extra innings.
- Both offenses went quietly over the eighth and ninth innings before Lynn scored the walk-off run in the tenth. Sophia Devesa hit a sacrifice fly to center driving in Sheffield, who walked to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and wild pitch.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Van Gennep, Floyd, Garcia, and Hannah Famiano led Eckerd at the plate with two hits apiece.
- Despite the loss in the circle, Van Gennep's five strikeouts pushed her past 300 career strikeout mark. She is only the second Triton to reach the career milestone.
- Eckerd's last three games have all gone to extra innings.
UP NEXT
The two teams conclude the series with a doubleheader tomorrow at 1:00 PM.
