DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle softball team returned home for the first time in nearly three weeks on Friday afternoon and picked up a pair of wins over Southeastern, a fellow first-year program. The Eagles took game one, 4-3, before winning game two, 8-0, in five innings. The games were the first-ever Sun Conference contests for both schools.
 
Game One – ERAU 4, SEU 3
 
The Eagles (7-15, 2-0) got the jump on the Fire in the first inning as Robi Zimmerman launched a two-out two-run double to right-center field, plating Dee Espinosa and Savannah Smith. The lead grew to 3-0 when Savannah Smith knocked in Samantha Smith with a double in the second inning.
 
Southeastern battled back with a three-run third inning to knot things up at 3-3, prompting ERAU Head Coach Sarah Lockett to replace Zimmerman in the circle with Alexis Estrada.
 
The Blue and Gold battle back to retake the lead in the bottom half of the third, scoring a run on an errant throw by the catcher. With Jori Walan on third and Ariel Brayer on first, Brayer took off for second. Jen Hedrick tried to throw out Brayer, but her throw sailed into center field, allowing Walan to trot home without a play.
 
That fourth run would prove to be all Estrada needed, as she allowed just three baserunners over the final four innings, sealing the 4-3 victory for the Eagles.
 
Zimmerman lasted 2.2 innings, giving up all three runs on four hits, four walks and two hit batters. Estrada (4-5) got the win, allowing just two hits over 4.1 scoreless innings, striking out nine and hitting one batter.
 
Zimmerman went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs while Espinosa and Savannah Smith each went 1-for-2 with a run scored.
 
Sam Rich (5-5) pitched all six innings and took the loss for the Fire, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits, walking four and striking out two.
 
Game Two – ERAU 8, SEU 0 (5 inn.)
 
In the second game, Estrada got the start and was dominant throughout the game, facing just one over the minimum.
 
The Fire got a leadoff single from Siera Spahiu in the second inning, but Spahiu was called out shortly after reaching first base on a circle violation for not retreating to first base quickly enough once the pitcher had the ball in the circle.
 
The Eagles got on the board in the second inning when Sarah Huey laced a bases-loaded two-out single up the middle, scoring Samantha Smith and Jessica Osteen. Savannah Smith followed with a base hit to center field, scoring Alex Wood to give ERAU a 3-0 lead.
 
Embry-Riddle added to the lead with a run in the third inning thanks to an RBI single from Brayer, scoring Haleigh Lewis to put the home team ahead, 4-0.
 
Rich looked to give Southeastern it's first scoring threat of the game when she lined a ball over the head of the center fielder Wood, but she was gunned down at third base on a strong relay throw from Huey to end the inning.
 
Wood drew a walk to open the bottom of the fourth and Huey quickly followed with a base hit on the first pitch she saw. Savannah Smith then laid down a bunt that found its way between the pitcher and the third baseman, allowing her to reach first base and load the bases. Espinosa dropped a blooper into right-center field to score Wood, bringing the score to 5-0. Zimmerman followed with a grounder to the shortstop, who booted the ball, allowing Huey to score and the bases to remain loaded. Lewis then popped out to the second baseman, but when Paige Duncan stumbled as she made the catch in shallow right field, Savannah Smith was able to scamper home with the seventh Eagle run. Brayer capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to left allowing Espinosa to score and give the Blue and Gold an 8-0 lead after four innings.
 
Spahiu started the fifth with a solid double to deep right center, but Jen Hedrick lined out to Huey at second base and pinch runner DeVyn Barker was doubled off second on the play. After a walk to Leslie Nazario, Estrada struck out Bri Girardin to end the game thanks to the eight-run mercy rule.
 
Estrada (5-5) threw all five innings, giving up just three hits and one walk while striking out two.
 
Huey was 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs while Brayer was 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Savannah Smith went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI and Espinosa and Lewis each collected one hit and one RBI.
 
Emily Bryant (5-5) took the loss for the Fire, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits in 2.1 innings pitched. She walked two, hit two and struck out one.
 
Spahiu was 2-for-2 with a double and Rich was 1-for-2 with a double to account for all three Fire hits.
 
The Eagles are back in action at the ERAU Softball Stadium on Wednesday, Mar. 27 when they host Warner in a Sun Conference doubleheader. Game one is set for a 5 p.m. first pitch.