FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Lexie Storrer knew what she needed to do on Saturday afternoon to help her team a series sweep of Eckerd College, hitting walk-off RBI-singles in both parts of a doubleheader for two Nova Southeastern wins.
In the first game, the Sharks rallied from a 2-0 deficit to score three runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 3-2 come-from-behind win before NSU used Storrer's RBI-single to outlast Eckerd, 2-1, in an eight-inning nightcap.
The Sharks now sit at 19-17 on the overall season, and are 7-5 in the Sunshine State Conference, tying them for third in the standings. Eckerd falls to 13-22 overall and 2-10 against league members with the series sweep. This is the first time the Sharks have swept a conference opponent since Florida Tech in Apr. 2014.
GAME ONE
After two scoreless innings of play, Eckerd struck first, taking advantage of a Shark error for a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Three innings later in the top of the sixth, another error proved costly for NSU as the Tritons tallied their final run and grabbed a 2-0 advantage with only a frame to go.
With one out on the board in the bottom of the seventh, back-to-back singles by
Sydney Lageyre and
Mary Acosta put NSU in scoring position before
Dana Edmundson sent a two-RBI double deep into center field to knot the game, 2-2.
Dakota Villella was able to push Edmundson to third on a ground out before the next batter, Storrer, ended the game with a single to center field, scoring Edmundson and giving NSU the 3-2 victory.
Storrer was 2-for-3 on the day with an RBI while Edmundson was 2-for-4 with two RBI and one scored run.
Megan Granitto was also 2-for-3.
Erica Winter improved her record to an even 6-6 after tossing all 7.0 innings, allowing two runs (1 ER) on eight hits with four strikeouts.
Grace Willeck (2-5) was handed the loss, pitching 6.2 innings and allowing three runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts.
GAME TWO
Like the first game, Eckerd was on the board first, this time early in the first inning, utilizing an RBI-single by Chelsea Armstrong.
NSU responded in the home half of the inning, as Granitto sent a bomb all the way to the centerfield wall, good enough for a triple and to score Villella, who reached on a walk. The score would remained tied at 1-1 through the seventh inning, forcing extras.
In the top of the eighth, Eckerd was able to get one on, but two quick outs by the Sharks ended the half inning and gave the home team the chance for another walk-off victory.
Acosta led off with a single to the pitcher before a walk drawn by Edmundson put the Sharks in scoring position. The next batter, Villella, drew her third walk of the game to load the bases before Storrer stepped up to the plate to deliver her second game-ending RBI-single and give the Sharks the 2-1 win.
Storrer was a solid 3-for-5 in game two, with one crucial RBI while Acosta finished 2-for-4 and scored once. Edmundson and
Ashley Roe each drew two walks.
Storrer (13-7) tallied her sixth win in a row, seeing all 8.0 innings in the circle while allowing just one run on eight hits with five strikeouts and only two walks. In her two wins of this series, the freshman right-hander recorded a .47 ERA, allowing just two runs and 10 hits in 15.0 innings.
Janna Gaburo was saddled with game two's loss, pitching all 7.0 innings and allowing two runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and nine walks.
The Sharks will hit the road again next weekend as they travel to Melbourne, Fla. to take on the Florida Tech Panthers in a three-game series starting on Friday at 6:00 p.m. For live coverage, head to NSUSharks.com, or follow @NSU_Softball on Twitter.
