Fort Myers, Fla. -- The opening game of 2016 Atlantic Sun Conference Softball Championship turned into an 11-inning marathon, but Stetson came up on the short end of a 2-1 decision to Jacksonville Wednesday evening at the FGCU Softball Complex.
Heather Roberts snapped a 1-1 tie with a solo home run in the top of the 11th inning, advancing the Dolphins (28-28) in the winner's bracket. The Hatters (29-23) will face Lipscomb in an elimination game at 3 p.m. Thursday.
"I thought our defense was very good and our pitching was excellent," Stetson head coach Frank Griffin said. "Offensively, we had so many missed opportunities, and you can't pass up that many opportunities and expect to win."
The loss spoiled a brilliant complete-game effort by Tori Perkins, who threw 152 pitches in 11 innings of work. She walked two, struck out three, and held the Dolphins to 2-for-15 (.133) with runners on base.
"To be a freshman and pitch the way Tori pitched today is really encouraging," Griffin said. "She did a great job."
The Hatters collected seven hits in the game but left 10 runners on base. Jessie TenBroeck and Molly Shasteen led the way with two hits apiece. Shasteen also made a game-saving catch in the rightcenter field gap to end the top of the eighth inning.
"She put it in another gear," Griffin said. "She put it in overdrive. It was amazing."
Kelsey Waters, Kayla Drury, and Jazz Vasquez also singled for the Hatters. Waters scored Stetson's lone run on TenBroeck's infield single in the bottom of the third inning.
Notes: Stetson's last game of 11 innings or more came in 2014 vs. Lipscomb (13 innings) ... Stetson's last postseason game of 11 innings or more came in 2007 vs. Gardner-Webb (11 innings) ... The last Hatter pitcher to throw 11 or more innings in a postseason game was Kelli Lightner in 2001 (15 innings vs. FAU).
