ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Eckerd softball team scored early in both games Tuesday night only to see Bloomsburg (Penn.) rally in the next inning. The Tritons responded late in each game but were unable to make up the difference in the opener falling in a tight, 8-7, contest. However, in the finale, Eckerd scored late to take a one-run lead in the sixth inning for a 5-4 victory at the Turley Athletic Complex.
HOW IT ENDED
Game One
Final: Bloomsburg 8, Eckerd 7
WP: Wild (6-2)
LP: Saltzman (1-1)
Game Two
Final: Eckerd 5, Bloomsburg 4
WP: Durrance (6-7)
LP: Baney (2-2)
Records: Eckerd 9-13; Bloomsburg 8-4
KEY MOMENTS
Game One
- The Huskies scored early with a pair of runs in the opening inning off an RBI single and a sacrifice fly.
- Eckerd responded to take a 4-2 lead in the second inning. Hannah Famiano led off the inning with a single up the middle before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt and a stolen base. She then came around to score on a perfectly placed squeeze bunt by Meredith McGinnis to third base. Jessica Wilson followed with a single up the middle, and Ally Costa brought her and McGinnis in with a triple ripped to left center. Kaylin Kramer then delivered an RBI double to center field to plate the fourth run.
- BU took the lead back in the next frame. The Huskies evened the score with a bases-loaded single and a run also scoring on an error on the play. They added the go-ahead run on an RBI single before adding another run on a double play.
- Bloomsburg tacked on another two runs in the fifth inning on a pair of RBI singles to take an 8-4 lead.
- Eckerd responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame to trail by one at 8-7. McGinnis doubled in Famiano with a ball sliced down the left field line. McGinnis came around to score following a fielding error. Costa then singled to shortstop to score Wilson.
- Eckerd threatened to tie the game in both the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth EC loaded the bases and in the seventh Costa reached third on a double and wild pitch, but both times the Tritons were unable to push a run across.
Game Two
- Eckerd struck early with four runs in the opening frame. The Tritons loaded the bases on a pair of walks to Costa and Lauren Margolis and a bunt single by Kramer. Valerie Holguin followed to bring in two runs with a single up the middle. River Glenn then delivered an RBI single to left and Kassy Torres plated the fourth run with an RBI single to left.
- The Huskies evened the score in the next frame. After loading the bases, they scored a run on a walk and a three-run double.
- After the early scoring, both teams went quiet over the next three innings until Eckerd broke the deadlock in the sixth frame. Holguin led off the inning with a double to right field. Pinch-runner, Kayelee Newstrom, advanced to third on a Glenn sacrifice bunt before scoring the winning run on Famiano's RBI groundout to third.
- Bloomsburg loaded the bases in the seventh, but Kensley Durrance coaxed a foul out to end the game.
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Costa led Eckerd in the opener with three hits and three RBIs while Kramer and Famiano each had two hits.
- Holguin collected two hits and two RBIs in the finale.
- Durrance tossed a complete game in the finale for her sixth win of the season.
- Kramer's double in the first game was her team-leading seventh of the season.
- Both Famiano and Kramer hold a five-game hitting streak while Margolis has a seven-game reached base streak.
QUOTABLE
"We swung the bat well today," said head coach
Katie Profitt. "Jess [Wilson] had a few nice plays for us in center field. We need to keep pushing and getting better."
UP NEXT
Eckerd travels to Florida Southern on Friday for a 6:00 PM opening pitch.
