MOUNT VERNON, Ga. – The Embry-Riddle softball team played its first games against NAIA competition on Friday, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to the Brewton-Parker Barons in Mount Vernon, Ga. The Eagles lost game one, 5-2, and fell in game two, 6-2, falling to 0-4 on the season. Brewton-Parker improved to 7-1 on the year.
 
Game One – BPC 5, ERAU 2
 
The Barons got on the board first, scoring a run on three hits in the second inning. BPC added three more in the third by capitalizing on Eagle mistakes. The Barons scored one run on an ERAU throwing error and another run on a wild pitch.
 
Embry-Riddle cut the deficit to 4-1 with a run in the fifth. Jessica Osteen singled to open the inning and pinch runner Krizzy Menez moved to second on a passed ball. After a groundout advanced Menez to third base, Savannah Smith hit a relatively routine fly ball to left field, but Desiree Kendrick dropped the ball, allowing Menez to score.
 
The Barons got that run back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring a run with two outs when Dee Espinosa tried to throw behind the runner at first base and her pickoff throw got past Osteen, allowing Samantha Martin to score to increase the BPC lead to 5-1.
 
Sarah Huey led off the sixth with a triple to deep right-center and Espinosa followed two batters later with a double down the left-field line to score the Eagles' second run of the game. Embry-Riddle couldn't push across any more runs, dropping the contest, 5-2.
 
Robi Zimmerman threw the first complete game for the Eagles, falling to 0-1 on the season. She went six innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on 12 hits and two walks while striking out one.
 
Huey finished 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored while Espinosa was 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI.
 
Crystal Ward went the distance for Brewton-Parker, improving to 3-1 this year. She threw seven innings allowing one run on six hits, walking one and striking out a pair.
 
Fritts went 3-for-3 with two RBIs while Kendrick, Heather Sutliff and Trisha Jennings recorded two hits apiece.
 
Game Two – BPC 6, ERAU 2
 
The Eagles got the early jump in game two, scoring a run in the first inning. Huey reached on an error to open the game and took advantage of a sleeping defense, running to second base before time was called. Alex Wood bunted Huey over to third base and Espinosa knocked the run in with a base hit to right-center, putting ERAU ahead, 1-0.
 
After Brewton-Parker left the bases loaded against Zimmerman in the first inning, the Barons struck for a run in the second off of Melanie Lee. After the first batter was hit by a pitch, Lee set down the next two batters. But Kendrick belted a triple to right field, scoring the runner from first base to tie the game at one.
 
BPC took the lead in the third when Lauren Clinton led off with a solo home run over the center field fence, giving the home team a 2-1 advantage. The lead ballooned to 5-1 when the Barons got back-to-back two-out singles followed by a three-run homer from Marissa Brown.
 
The Eagles had a chance to cut into the deficit in the fifth with runners on second and third with one out, but Espinosa and Zimmerman each hit solid line drives right at the second baseman and right fielder, respectively, ending the inning.
 
After the Barons added a run in the sixth to take a 6-1 lead, Embry-Riddle mounted a rally in the top of the seventh. Rae Heuer reached on catcher's interference with one out and Huey followed with an infield single. Wood laced a single up the middle to load the bases and Espinosa drew a five-pitch walk to plate pinch runner Samantha Smith, trimming the margin to 6-2. With the tying run at the plate and only one out, BPC's Ashley Williams settled down and struck out Zimmerman and Haleigh Lewis to end the game without another run crossing the plate.
 
Zimmerman started for the Eagles but only threw one inning, allowing two hits and walk but no runs. Lee came on in the second and went the rest of the way, taking the loss to fall to 0-1 on the season. Lee allowed six runs on 10 hits in five innings of work, walking none and striking out two.
 
Huey and Wood each recorded a pair of hits for Embry-Riddle, while Espinosa went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
 
Myia Ashmore started for BPC and got the win, improving to 3-0 on the season. Ashmore went six innings, giving up an unearned run on four hits, walking two and striking out five. Williams came on to pitch the seventh inning and allowed an unearned run on two hits and walk while striking out the side.
 
Kendrick went 4-for-4 with a triple, run scored and RBI. Brown was 2-for-3 with a run scored and four RBIs, while Clinton added two hits, a run and an RBI.
 
The Eagles will travel to Lawrenceville, Ga. to take on another first-year program, Georgia Gwinnett, in a doubleheader tomorrow at noon.