BOCA RATON, Fla.—With two outs and the game tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth, Bianca Savulak collected her third hit and second double of the day in the form of a walk-off two bagger to center field and beat the Eckerd College Tritons 5-4 in Sunshine State Conference action on Thursday.
Kaci Vassallo also tallied three hits in four at bats while Anne Marie Van Casteren posted her fourth multiple hit game of the season on a 2-for-4 day.
The Tritons started the scoring with a single, a sac bunt and a double in the first inning to make it a 1-0 game.
In the bottom of the first, Christina Carvatta led off with a seven-pitch walk then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Savulak. Lauren Garceau then belted a single down the left field line to score Carvatta and tie the game. Garceau advanced to second on the throw home then scored on a Vassallo single up the middle after the Eckerd center fielder mishandled the ball.
With the 2-1 advantage, Lynn starting pitcher, Missy Montgomery, tossed two no-hit innings before the Tritons knotted the game in the fourth frame.
Lynn answered right back in the bottom of the fourth as Van Casteren started the inning reaching base on an Eckerd throwing error by the short stop. After a Marianne Johnson sacrifice bunt and a Carvatta ground out, Savulak ripped a double to left center to plate Van Casteren and reclaim the lead for Lynn at 3-2.
The Tritons rallied once again and scored a run from two bunt hits in the fifth to tie the game for the third time.
In Lynn's half of the fifth, Vassallo led off with a single then moved to second after Kasey Murray reached base on hit by pitch. After Eckerd collected two quick outs, Van Casteren rifled a two-out RBI single up the middle to score Murray and give Lynn the 4-3 tilt.
Both teams could not score any runs in the sixth and Montgomery posted a perfect frame to set the table for Lynn needing only three more outs to collect the victory.
Eckerd, refusing to go quietly, took advantage of the lone Lynn error of the game and tied things up at 4-4 on a Brittany Mitchell single to score Julie Bierchen.
Both teams held steady in the bottom of the seventh and top of the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, Van Casteren led off with a single up the middle then Johnson popped up a sac bunt and Carvatta reached on a fielder's choice with Van Casteren out at second.
With the first pitch of her at bat, Savulak lined a ball the center field. Eckerd's center fielder tried to make a diving catch but the ball scooted under her glove and rolled to the fence allowing Carvatta to score from first to end the game in walk-off fashion.
Montgomery went the complete game giving up eight hits, three earned runs and three strikeouts. Callie Darlin and Garceau both added a hit each with Garceau collecting sixth RBI of the season.
The Fighting Knights continue play versus Eckerd tomorrow, April 6, with a doubleheader starting at 10 a.m. Fans can listen to the game live by clicking on the Game Central icon at LynnFightingKngihts.com.
