CLEARWATER, Fla.—The 24th-ranked Barry Buccaneers (2-1) came up short against the sixth-ranked Pirates of Armstrong Atlantic 14-7 in eight innings on Friday at the Eckerd College Invitational at Eddie C. Moore Park.
Julie Brito rallied the Bucs back in the bottom of the first inning after the Pirates (2-0) plated a pair in the top of the inning. Brito launched a three-run homer to give Barry a 3-2 lead and Kristina Pazianeza added a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.
Armstrong pushed across four runs of their own in the second inning. Alexis Mercer smacked a three-run homer and Kacie Patterson added an RBI single. Mercer added a solo homer in the fourth.
In bottom of the fourth, Barry scored twice. Ashley Fernandez doubled down the left-field line and Kayla Ogle knocked her in with a single to the same spot. After Ogle swiped second, Camille Czarnecki singled up the middle.
Barry tied it in the fifth inning. Cheyanne Head singled and came around on a single by Hunter Mars.
In the eighth inning, under the tiebreaker, the Pirates exploded for seven runs. Peyton Roth knocked in two runs and Andrea Dalton had an RBI double.
Olivia McLemore (2-0) went the distance for the Pirates, throwing 171 pitches. She allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and six walks and struck out five. Taylor Sabol (0-1) was tagged with the loss in relief of Czarnecki. Sabol allowed eight runs (six earned) on 11 hits and two walks in 4.2 innings.
The Bucs face West Florida from the Gulf South Conference in a region game on Saturday as well as the Lindenwood Lions as the Invitational continues.
Armstrong Atlantic 14, Barry 7 (02/07/14 at Clearwater, FL)
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Armstrong Atlantic.. 240 100 07 - 14 17 1 (2-0)
Barry.......................... 400 210 00 - 7 8 2 (2-1)
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Pitchers: Armstrong Atlantic - Ollivia McLemore and Haley Ellis. Barry - Camille Czarnecki; Taylor Sabol(4) and Alexis Kent.
Win-Ollivia McLemore(2-0) Loss-Taylor Sabol(0-1) T-2:46 A-111
HR ARMSTRONG - Alexis Mercer 2 (3).
HR BARRY - Julie Brito (1).
Weather: dank