COLUMBUS, Ga. -- The Eckerd Tritons softball team went 1-1 on Friday to begin the Cougar-Hurricane Classic in Georgia. The Tritons defeated the Columbus State Cougars by a score of 6-0 before falling to the Montevallo Falcons by a final of 7-2.
In game one, the Tritons struck first in the opening inning after three straight hits produced the first two runs of the contest. Hannah Taylor singled and Ella Coiner doubled to put runners on second and third before Faith Wharton delivered a two-run double in the next at-bat. Brandilyn Reymer worked around at least one base runner in each of the next three innings as Eckerd carried a 2-0 lead into the fifth.
An error led to the Tritons' third run in the top of the fifth before they added three more in the seventh. Taylor opened the final frame with a solo home run, and two batters later Wharton launched her second homer of the season. An infield single by Ashley Cain pushed the advantage to 6-0, and Reymer closed it out with a three-up, three-down bottom half to secure the shutout.
Five different players recorded two hits in the victory, while Reymer struck out seven to earn her second win of the season.
In game two, the Tritons and Falcons each recorded hits in the first two innings, but both pitchers kept the scoreboard clean to maintain a 0-0 tie entering the third. Elise Roy escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second to preserve the scoreless game, but Montevallo broke through with four runs in the third to take control.
The Tritons trailed by six in the fifth before getting two back in the bottom half on an RBI single by Taylor. Montevallo added one more run in the sixth to complete the scoring.
Lex Difato and Taylor each tallied two hits in the contest.
Eckerd returns to action tomorrow against Mars Hill and Georgia Southwestern.
