WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic softball team finished its series with SSC foe and Palm Beach County rival Lynn on Friday.
The Sailfish and the Fighting Knights needed 14 innings to decide game three of their series. PBA clinched the series by winning both games of Thursday's doubleheader. The Sailfish had a chance to sweep but couldn't get enough clutch hits to win the ballgame. Lynn walked it off in the bottom of the 14th, 3-2.
Both teams were held scoreless through five innings of play.
Lacy Marty pitched well for the Sailfish, only allowing one hit through five frames. PBA stranded runners in the second, third, and fifth innings before finally breaking through in the sixth.
Gracie Mullett doubled and advanced on a wild pitch.
Isabella Hernandez came through with an RBI single down the leftfield line to drive in Mullett to give the 'Fish a 1-0 lead.
Unfortunately for the Sailfish, Lynn answered with a pair of runs in the sixth. A leadoff single, a sac bunt, and a stolen base put a runner on third with one out. An RBI single and an error on the same play allowed one run to score.
Ashlyn Storms entered into the circle. A wild pitch put another runner at third base. A walk and stolen base put runners on second and third. A sacrifice fly gave Lynn a 2-1 lead. Storms limited the damage, forcing a groundout to second.
Things looked bleak for the Sailfish with two quick outs in the seventh.
Rhiannon Sibbett started a two-out rally with a single to center field.
Elisa Grande drove the first pitch of her at-bat to the fence for a game-tying double to force extra innings.
Cambria Arturo entered to pitch in the bottom of the seventh. She pitched six scoreless innings in relief. Mullett nearly gave the Sailfish a two-run lead in the tenth inning. She sent a flyball over the left field fence, but the umpire ruled it foul. PBA had runners on first and second with no outs in the 11th inning but couldn't get a clutch hit.
Lynn ended the game in the bottom of the 14th. A leadoff single and a sac bunt set up a walk-off double, giving the Fighting Knights a 3-2 win.
Marty finished with 5.1 innings pitched. She gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits and no walks with two strikeouts. Storms pitched one hitless inning with two walks. Arturo tossed seven innings, giving up one run on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
Karen Vasquez was the last pitcher of the day for PBA. She faced one batter, giving up the double.
Grande and Hernandez led the Sailfish offense with three hits, one double, and one RBI. Mullett and Sibbett tallied two hits of their own.
PBA travels to Florida Southern next weekend. The series in Lakeland begins on Friday at 7 p.m.
