DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - In the first year of competition for Embry-Riddle softball the Eagles will be playing in the postseason after qualifying for the 2013 Sun Conference Softball Tournament in Clermont, Fla. (May 2-4) with a Sunday sweep of Northwood at the Embry-Riddle Softball Stadium. The Eagles (13-22) moved to 8-7 in league play with the twin bill victory, downing the Seahawks (11-31, 2-12) via a mercy-rule shortened 11-3 win in the opener and a 4-1 final in the series' conclusion.

Game One - ERAU 11, NU 3
The Eagles tied a Sun Conference season game-high with 10 stolen bases in the opener and got four RBIs from Sarah Huey to emerge with the run-rule win in just five innings.

Alexis Estrada (10-8) went the distance for the Blue and Gold, allowing three runs on nine hits while striking out seven Seahawk batters and all but two starters collected either a base hit or RBI for the Eagles.

Huey started the scoring with a double to left in the bottom of the first, scoring Dee Espinosa from second after the Eagle first baseman walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead, one they would never relinquish.

The Seahawks ran themselves out of the first three frames, as the final out in each inning came via a baserunning blunder and the home team made them pay in the bottom of the third when the Eagles pushed across five runs on three hits and three Northwood errors.

After Alex Wood started the half-inning off reaching on an error, she swiped second and scored when Espinosa attempted to bunt her to third but was able to reach second when another Northwood player committed a miscue. Huey collected her second RBI with a ground ball to second that drove in Espinosa and the third error of the inning allowed her to reach first safely. Robi Zimmerman clobbered a double to left center in the next at-bat, clearing the bases and giving the hosts a 5-0 advantage. The final run of the frame came when Haley Lewis singled down the left field line, scoring Zimmerman's pinch runner, Krizzy Menez from third.

The Seahawks answered the Eagle offensive charge with a three-run fourth, including two runs coming off a Steinkirchne triple, but Estrada struck out the side to limit the damage and keep the Eagles in front, 6-3.

The Blue and Gold stole three more bases in the last of the fourth and scored three more runs as Savannah Smith, Huey and Jessica Osteen all collected RBIs, extending the Eagle lead to 9-3.

Estrada faced one over the minimum in the top of the fifth, inducing a pop up from cleanup hitter Howard to end the inning.

Embry-Riddle ended the game with two runs in the home-half of the fifth, one when Espinosa recorded a sac fly, allowing Wood to score from third and the final run coming when Huey doubled in Jori Walan from second for the 11-3 final.

Huey finished the game 3-for-4 with four RBIs, two runs scored and two stolen bases, while Zimmerman went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and Wood was also 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three stolen bases.

Game Two - ERAU 4, NU 1
The series finale had all the appearances of a pitcher's duel between Zimmerman and Northwood's Dirks, but the Eagles were able to get two earned and two unearned runs while Zimmerman held the Seahawks to just one unearned run in a complete game victory for the home team.

Huey broke up Dirks' no-hit bid in the second, but was thrown out trying to steal a base and the Eagles wouldn't record another hit until two outs in the third.

Zimmerman gave up her first hit in the top of the third with two outs on the board, but a weak pop up ended the half-inning and sent the Eagles to the plate.

Chanley Burge doubled to left on an 0-2 pitch to start the frame, and when Espinosa singled down the left field line a few batters later, Burge raced home from second to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

Northwood knotted things up in the fourth when Howard flew out to deep left field, scoring Aylesworth from third after she singled and moved to second on a failed pickoff attempt before advancing to third on a groundout.

Lewis put the Eagles ahead for good in the last of the fourth with a double to right center, plating Menez from third after Zimmerman doubled to begin the inning and was pinch ran for by the lone Eagle senior.

Zimmerman went three-up, three-down in the fifth and a crucial dropped fly error by the Seahawk shortstop in the Eagle-half of the frame allowed two runs to score, giving the Eagles a 4-1 cushion.

Zimmerman surrendered just two baserunners the rest of the way, never allowing the tying-run to get to the plate and when Self grounded out to third to end the game, the Eagles punched their ticket to The Sun Conference Tournament.

Zimmerman (3-11) collected her third win of the season, allowing just three hits (tying a season-low for hits allowed) and one unearned run while fanning thee Northwood hitters. Lewis and Espinosa picked up an RBI each while Huey recorded her 21st multi-hit game of the year (her fourth consecutive).

Embry-Riddle will host St. Thomas in a make-up game on Tuesday, Apr. 23 at 7 p.m. The game will be the final regular season contest for the Blue and Gold.