ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A four-run eighth inning by Rollins broke a scoreless tie and ended a pitchers' duel between
Nikole Van Gennep and Ashley Worrell as the Tars took the opening game of a weekend series from the Eckerd softball team, 4-0.
Van Gennep and Worrell were both able to bear down in tight situations through the first seven innings to head into extra innings in a scoreless tie.
In the eighth, the Tars finally found a solution with four consecutive run-scoring singles and Worrell took care of the rest in the bottom of the inning.
HOW IT ENDED
Final: Rollins 4, Eckerd 0 (8 innings)
WP: Worrell (14-3) Â
LP: Van Gennep (6-14)
Records: Eckerd 11-23 (3-13 SSC); Rollins 28-5 (12-4 SSC)
KEY MOMENTS
- The Tritons threatened in the bottom of the first after singles by Kaylin Kramer and Ally Costa put runners on the corners with two outs, but Worrell got a groundout to strand both.
- Rollins put a runner at third in both the second and third innings, but Van Gennep got out of the inning both times without allowing the run to cross home.
- Eckerd had runners at second and third with one out in the fourth after Skylar Redish was hit by a pitch and Ally Costa laid down a bunt single before both moved up 60 feet on a sacrifice bunt. Avery Wakefield then hit a sinking line drive at the second baseman, who made a shoestring grab and doubled off Redish at third.
- With the game still scoreless heading into the home half of the seventh, Eckerd put the winning run at second base after Wakefield walked and Meredith McGinnis was hit by a pitch. Worrell again escaped the jam, however, getting Hannah Famiano to foul out to left field.
- The Tars finally got to Van Gennep in the eighth with four straight one-out RBI singles. Redish drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the inning but was stranded.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Van Gennep struck out six batters while reaching 400 career strikeouts in the process. Â She is just the second pitcher in Triton history to record 400 strikeouts. Â She also finds herself needing 15-2/3 innings to become the program's all-time leader in innings pitched.
- Kramer and Costa each had a pair of hits.
- Tonight's game was the sixth extra-innings contest for Eckerd this season. The Tritons are 1-5 in those games, all of which ended in the eighth inning.
UP NEXT
Eckerd and Rollins conclude the weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon.