TAMPA, Fla. – The Eckerd Tritons softball team split the first two games of a three-game series on Friday versus the Tampa Spartans, dropping the opener by a score of 4-0 before taking the finale 1-0.

The Spartans scored three times in the first and once in the second to tally all four of their runs right away. Eckerd's first hit came in the third on a leadoff double by Maddie Bostack, but Tampa worked around the base runner to keep the Tritons off the board. 

Eckerd's biggest scoring threat came in the fifth, seeing hits by both Bostack and Mia Hernandez before eventually loading the bases. The Spartans forced a pop up to end the inning and keep their 4-0 lead intact through the end.

In game two, the starting pitchers stole the show as the two teams combined for just seven hits in the contest. Lex Difato got the Tritons' first base knock in the fourth, but both sides continued to remain scoreless entering the seventh inning.

The first two Eckerd batters were retired to begin the seventh, but Faith Wharton extended the inning with a five-pitch walk. After a wild pitch put pinch runner Sophia Kevitt into scoring position, Abby Lucas poked the ball over the shortstop and into left-center for a go-ahead RBI double.

Brandilyn Reymer worked around a walk in the bottom half and struck out the final batter to complete the 1-0 shutout.

The victory was the first for Eckerd at Tampa since 2016.

Game three will take place tomorrow.