LAKE WALES, Fla. - In a midweek doubleheader, Warner University softball team lost to NCAA-II Eckerd College on Wednesday afternoon.  The Tritons won both contests 6-3 and 11-4 to improve to 20-2 while the Lady Royals drop to 0-4-1.

In game one Chelsie Valentine got the start in the circle and held the potent Tritons' lineup to one-hit through the first five innings.

Kaitlyn Ficarrotta doubled home Warner's first two runs of the game in the first inning giving the Lady Royals an early 2-1 lead.  After three straight scoreless frames the Tritons broke through for two runs in the fifth inning then added three more in the sixth to pull ahead 6-2.

Ficarotta scored the Lady Royals' third run on wild pitch in the sixth inning to end the scoring for the home team.  She finished with two of Warner's five hits in the game (2-for-2) and also scored a run.

Valentine (0-1) took the loss with four runs allowed in five innings pitched.  She retired nine batters in a row at one point and struck out five.

In game two, the Lady Royals fell behind 4-0 in the first inning as the Tritons scored four runs on two hits including a homerun.  The Lady Royals cut the deficit in half in the fourth inning on a two-RBI single by Makenzie Garcia.

Leading 4-2 going into the fifth inning, the Tritons scored seven runs over the final three innings chasing starter Erika Shick (0-3) from the game after five innings and six runs allowed.  Brittany Winget tossed the final two innings.

The Lady Royals pushed their final two runs across the plate in the sixth inning with back to back doubles by Shick and Garcia.  In the seventh inning, the Lady Royals were retired in order ending the game 11-4 in favor of the visitors.

Garcia collected three hits (3-for-3) and drove in three of Warner's four runs.  Shick went 2-for-3 with a run scored as well.

On Thursday, March 5, the Lady Royals head to St. Petersburg, Fla. to take on St. Pete College in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.