WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic softball team concluded its first home series of 2022 against Eckerd on Saturday.
The Sailfish rebounded from last night's loss in game one. The PBA (5-5, 3-2 SSC) offense put up seven runs on 10 hits in the first game. Lacy Marty tossed a complete game in the circle, leading to a 7-3 PBA win. The roles reversed for the second game. Eckerd (6-6, 2-3 SSC) took a 7-0 lead in the third inning and never looked back, clinching the series by winning 7-2.
PBA hosts Embry-Riddle in a conference series next weekend. The first game on Friday starts at 6 p.m.
Game One: PBA 7, EC 3
The Sailfish came out swinging in game one. Briana Rodriguez started the game with a leadoff double to centerfield. Emma Gipson singled to right field to score PBA's first run. A single by Elisa Grande set up an RBI single by Dallas Watterson to make it 2-0 after the first inning. Defensive miscues allowed Eckerd to get back in the game in the third. The Tritons scored a pair of unearned runs to tie the game at two.
PBA struck for two more runs in the fourth. Hayley Haas led off the inning with a single and stolen base to set up an Evoni Rodriguez double and regain the lead for the 'Fish. E. Rodriguez scored thanks to a two-out triple from Katherine Budnovich which made it a 4-2 game. Eckerd added another run in the sixth, but the Sailfish put the game out of reach in the bottom of the inning. PBA added three runs in the inning on two hits, one hit by a pitch, and one error to take a 7-3 lead. That was plenty of run support for Marty who finished the game in the seventh.
Every player in the PBA lineup got a hit in the game. Grande led the 'Fish with two. B. Rodriguez had one hit, one walk, one stolen base, and two runs. Budnovich finished with one hit and a pair of RBIs. All three of the runs surrendered by Marty were unearned. Marty gave up four hits and one walk with six strikeouts.
Game Two: EC 7, PBA 2
Eckerd scored two runs in the first inning of game two off three hits and a pair of walks. The game got out of hand in the third inning as Eckerd scored five runs on four hits and two walks.
PBA got one back in the bottom of the third courtesy of an RBI single through the left side by Budnovich. The 'Fish had a chance to spark a comeback in the sixth, but PBA left a pair of runners stranded to end the inning. Watterson started the seventh inning with a bang, sending a solo home run to left field, but it was too little, too late for the Sailfish. Eckerd clinched the series with a 7-2 win.
Despite scoring just two runs, PBA totaled seven hits in the contest. Chloe Nepveux got the start in the second game. She surrendered five runs on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Karen Vasquez pitched well in relief for the Sailfish. She gave up two earned runs with five hits, four walks, and three strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
