ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd softball team dropped a pair of contests to the Hillsdale (Mich.) Chargers 7-5 and 3-0 on Wednesday afternoon at the Turley Athletic Complex.
The Tritons opened game one in a 1-0 hole, as the Chargers scored off an error for the advantage in the first. However, the Tritons, answered back with two runs in the bottom of the frame off an RBI groundout by Megan Diaz and an RBI single by Addisan Langston.
Avery Beauchaine struck out two in the second to keep the score in the Tritons' favor, 2-1. The Chargers stole home and converted on a two-run homer over the centerfield wall to tip the scales back in their favor, 4-2 in the third.
After two scoreless innings, the teams added one aside in the sixth. An RBI single up the middle by Abby Lucas kept the Tritons in range, trailing 5-3. The Chargers added another pair of runs in the seventh to lead 7-3. A two-run homerun by Hannah Taylor kept the Tritons in the game, trailing 7-5 with no outs in the seventh. Hillsdale, however, escaped the game with a win, posting three straight outs to take game one 7-5.
With two aboard in the third of the second game, Hoverman hit a bomb to center field that bounced off the top of the fence and was snagged by a leaping Diaz, to rob her of a three-run homer to close the inning and keep the game scoreless.
After five scoreless innings, the Chargers broke the stalemate on a two-run homer by Olaveson to give Hillsdale a 2-0 advantage. Brandilyn Reymer came in relief, closing the inning with a strikeout and no further damage. Reymer threw a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth for Eckerd to only trail by two. In the seventh, Olaveson hit her second homerun of the game for a 3-0 Charger lead. Langston singled down the right field line in the bottom of the seventh, but it was not enough, as the Tritons fell 3-0.
HOW IT ENDED
Game One
FINAL: Hillsdale 7, Eckerd 5
WP: Maxson (1-2) LP: Beauchaine (1-3) HR: Eichholz (2), Taylor (4)
Game Two
FINAL: Hillsdale 3, Eckerd 0
WP: Russel (5-3) LP: Johnson (3-2) HR: Olaveson 2 (6)
RECORDS: Eckerd 9-15; Hillsdale (Mich.) 10-8
NOTES AND NUMBERS
- Langston led with three hits on the day.
- Taylor led with two RBIs on the day. Her homerun was her fourth of the season.
- Beauchaine posted five strikeouts over 2.1 innings of work.
- The Triton bullpen combined for 10 strikeouts on the day.
- Mia Hernandez and Lucas added two hits in the opener.
UP NEXT
The Tritons return to conference play Friday, as they host Barry at 7:00 PM at the Turley Athletic Complex for game one of the series.
