ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Eckerd softball team wrapped up its first SSC series of the year with a doubleheader split with Tampa on Saturday afternoon at the Turley Athletic Complex. Eckerd took the opener while dropping the finale, both with scores of 5-1.
Freshmen led the way for Eckerd in the opener as
Hannah Perkins tossed a complete game in the circle keeping the Spartans bats quiet while
Skylar Redish hit a three-run homerun in the third inning to give the Tritons the lead. Senior
Nikole Van Gennep added to the lead with a two-run homer in the fifth.
Tampa took an early 2-0 lead in the finale, but Eckerd narrowed the margin to one run following a solo homerun by
Kayelee Newstrom before Tampa added another three runs in the final inning.
HOW IT ENDED
Game One
Final: Eckerd 5, Tampa 1
WP: Perkins (2-2)
LP: Miner (2-2)
HR: Redish (1), Van Gennep (3)
Game Two
Final: Tampa 5, Eckerd 1
WP: Dooley (6-0)
LP: Van Gennep (3-4)
HR: Worrell (2), Newstrom (1), Farrell (1)
Records: Eckerd 5-7 (1-2 SSC); Tampa 8-2 (2-1 SSC)
KEY MOMENTS
Game One
- Eckerd looked to threaten early after loading the bases with only one out in the first inning but the Spartans turned a double play to end the Tritons' threat.
- Tampa got on the board first with a run in the third inning off a Christina Clauberg double. After the run, Perkins kept the Spartan bats at bay retiring the next nine batters on only 19 pitches.
- EC responded quickly taking a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the frame off Redish's first career homerun. Redish sent a three-run shot to center field driving in Van Gennep and Kaylin Kramer, both of whom reached on singles.
- The Tritons tacked on two insurance runs in the fifth inning. Newstrom led off the inning with a walk and Van Gennep delivered her second homerun of the series with an opposite-field shot.
Game Two
- Tampa took an early 2-0 lead after a two-run homerun by Sam Worrell in the first inning.
- After the homerun, Van Gennep kept the Tampa offense hitless over the next five innings. She allowed just one baserunner on a hit-by-pitch until the seventh inning.
- Eckerd looked to threaten in the fourth inning as Van Gennep and Hannah Famiano led off the inning with back-to-back singles but the Tritons were unable to push a run across.
- The Tritons narrowed the gap to one run in the sixth as Newstrom led off the inning with a solo homerun to centerfield.
- Tampa added another three runs in the seventh after an RBI double and two-run homerun.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Both Redish and Van Gennep were perfect at the plate in the opener as Redish went 3-for-3 with three RBIs while Van Gennep went 2-for-2 with two RBIs.
- Van Gennep finished the series 4-for-8 with three RBIs and two homeruns while extending her hitting streak to six games.
- Perkins took the win in the opener allowing just one run off four hits over seven innings. Perkins worked efficiently throughout the game taking the win on just 65 pitches.
- Van Gennep picked up the loss in the finale allowing five runs over seven innings.
- The Tritons scored all seven runs of the series via homeruns. Redish and Newstrom hit their first homeruns of the year with Redish's being the first of her career while Van Gennep hit her second and third of the season.
UP NEXT
Eckerd continues SSC action with a three-game series at Embry-Riddle next weekend with a single game Friday at 6:00 PM.
