Tritons Take Two From Barry Behind Offensive Outburst

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. - The Eckerd softball team extended its winning streak to five games on Thursday thanks to its most productive offensive day of the season, handing Barry University a pair of 11-3 defeats on the road.

Nikole Van Gennep hit a three-run homerun in both ends of the doubleheader, her 11th and 12th of the season, the second coming as part of an eight-run first inning of the second game.

After Barry took a 3-0 lead in the first game, the Tritons tied it in the third and took the lead in the fourth, then continued to pad their lead.

HOW IT ENDED
Game 1
Final: Eckerd 11, Barry 3
WP: Van Gennep (10-16)  LP: Vallee (10-24)  HR: Van Gennep (11)

Game 2
Final: Eckerd 11, Barry 3 (5 innings)
WP: Saltzman (3-4)   LP: Rawls (1-3)  HR: Van Gennep (12)
Records: Eckerd 17-27 (9-17 SSC); Barry 13-36 (6-20 SSC)

KEY MOMENTS
Game 1

• After a scoreless first inning for both teams, Barry used a walk and three hits to plate three runs in the home half of the second. A successful squeeze with the bases loaded scored the first run, followed by a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly.
• Eckerd answered in the top of the third to tie the game at 3-3. Kayelee Newstrom and Van Gennep singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Ally Costa hit a grounder back up the middle that was scored an error, bringing in Newstrom from third.  Two batters later, Kaylin Kramer laced a ball off the centerfield fence for a two-run double.
• In the fourth inning, Van Gennep launched a 2-1 pitch over the right field fence for her 11th homerun of the season, a three-run shot that put the Tritons ahead, 6-3.
• Van Gennep delivered again in the sixth with a line drive to center, scoring Newstrom from second.
• The Tritons tacked on four more runs in the seventh on RBIs by Newstrom, Hannah Famiano, Van Gennep, and Costa.

Game 2

• The Tritons took little time in jumping on Peyton Rawls, scoring eight times in the first inning highlighted by Van Gennep's second three-run homerun of the day.
• Barry got a run in the first after a triple by Lynsey Duncan and a single by Savannah Starling. Starling was thrown out stretching and Van Gennep retired the next two batters in her only inning of work.
• Eckerd scored in the second on an RBI single by Avery Wakefield and again in the third on a Kramer fielder's choice.
• The Bucs scored a pair of runs in the third off reliever Madison Saltzman.
• The Tritons went back ahead by eight runs with two outs in the fifth after a Kassy Torres single scored Skylar Redish to get back into run-rule territory. Saltzman took care of the rest with a scoreless bottom of the fifth to finish the game.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• With her two homers pushing her total to 12, Van Gennep needs only one more to tie the Eckerd program record for the most in a season.
• The Tritons have won five in a row and six of their last seven. Van Gennep has won four in a row in the circle.
• Eckerd's 11 runs in both games were the most scored in a contest this season.
• Van Gennep went 4-for-5 in the opening game and 2-for-4 in the finale with a combined eight RBIs.  Redish also had a big day at the plate going 2-for-4 in the first game and 3-for-3 in the second. Wakefield was a perfect 2-for-2 in the finale with two RBIs.

UP NEXT
The teams will attempt to beat incoming rain on Friday with a single game beginning at 10:00 AM.