ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd softball team fell victim to Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to the Sailfish as the visitors completed a three-game sweep at the Turley Athletic Complex.
Abbey Busby won both ends of the twinbill for the Sailfish in addition to her one-hit win last night.
Eckerd had a lead in the opener after scoring twice in the third, but PBA tied it in the fifth and scored twice in the eighth.
In the finale, the Sailfish scored eight times in the first three innings and cruised to the sweep.
HOW IT ENDED
Game 1
Final: Palm Beach Atlantic 4, Eckerd 2 (8 innings)
WP: Busby (13-6) Â
LP: Van Gennep (6-10)
Game 2
Final: Palm Beach Atlantic 9, Eckerd 4
WP: Busby (14-6) Â
LP: Costa (2-2) Â
HR: Van Gennep (8)
Records: Eckerd 11-17 (3-9 SSC); Palm Beach Atlantic 19-14 (7-5 SSC)
KEY MOMENTS
Game 1
- After loading the bases with no outs in the first, Eckerd stranded all three runners.
- The Tritons struck first in the third after a double by Nikole Van Gennep and a single by Skylar Redish opened the inning. Two batters later, Kaylin Kramer laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Van Gennep. Redish soon crossed home plate on a wild pitch for a 2-0 Eckerd lead.
- The Sailfish tied the game in the fifth after a leadoff walk and pinch-hit double by Taylor Pennica set the table. Magnolia West delivered her own successful squeeze bunt and Maddie Bertisch singled in the tying run with two outs.
- Famiano singled with one out in the seventh to represent the winning run but was stranded.
- Bertisch led off the eighth with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and then scored the go-ahead run after a throw to third on a steal attempt got away from Kramer. Pinch-hitter Hayley Haas added another run on a two-out RBI single.
- Busby retired the Tritons in order in the bottom of the eighth to earn the win in relief.
Game 2
- PBA jumped ahead early with two runs in the top of the first on an EdMilly Molina single.
- Eckerd got on the board in the bottom of the first on a two-out, bases-loaded single by Ally Costa.
- The Sailfish added three more runs in the second, highlighted by a two-run Katherine Budnovich double, and three in the third on a three-run homer by Kaley Hinds.
- The Tritons cut two runs off the deficit in the bottom of the third on an RBI groundout by Meagan Smith and a sacrifice fly by Madison Saltzman. Van Gennep blasted a solo homerun in the fourth, her eighth of the year, to make it an 8-4 game.
- Saltzman entered in relief in the third and kept PBA scoreless until the seventh, but Eckerd couldn't make headway against Busby in the last three innings.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- The opener was Eckerd's fourth extra-innings game of the season. The Tritons are 1-3 in those games, all of which ended in the eighth.
- After her eighth homer, Van Gennep is now tied for sixth for the most in a season in program history. She needs five to tie the record of 13, shared by Sherry Howell and Kara Oberer.
- Eckerd ended a 13-game home stand with a 6-7 record. The team will not be home again until March 29.
UP NEXT
The Tritons travel to face No. 9 Valdosta State (Ga.) on Tuesday at 3:00 PM.
