THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Embry-Riddle softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader at Thomas on Saturday afternoon, falling 8-4 in game one and 3-1 in game two. The Eagles held a 3-0 lead in the first game and a 1-0 lead in the second game, but TU was able to rally for wins in both games.
 
With the losses, ERAU falls to 8-20 on the season and 3-5 in Sun Conference play. The Night Hawks even their overall mark at 16-16 and improve to 4-2 in conference action.
 
Game One – TU 8, ERAU 4
 
The Blue and Gold jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first game, plating three runs in the first inning. After Dee Espinosa led off with a double, Savannah Smith and Sarah Huey were hit by pitches. Robi Zimmerman gave ERAU a 1-0 lead with an RBI bases-loaded walk. Two batters later, Jessica Osteen hit into a fielder's choice but Huey beat the throw to the plate, and Zimmerman came home when the throw got away from the catcher, upping the lead to 3-0.
 
Carmen Nadal hit a solo home run to get the Night Hawks on the board in the second inning. The Eagles would maintain the 3-1 lead until the fourth, when Thomas batted around and scored four times to take a 5-3 lead.
 
The Night Hawks added two more runs in the fifth and another run in the sixth to build the lead to 8-3.
 
Espinosa capped her 3-for-4 game with a solo shot to straightaway center field in the seventh inning, trimming the deficit to 8-4. ERAU was able to load the bases with two outs and bring the potential tying run to the plate, but Osteen grounded out to end the ballgame.
 
Zimmerman (2-10) took the loss for the Eagles, tossing 3.1 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks with one strikeout. Espinosa collected three of the team's five hits, finishing 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two runs and an RBI.
 
Alexa Fair (7-5) got the win, pitching all seven innings for TU. Fair gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits and four walks with two strikeouts and two hit batters. Taylor Nicolosi finished 3-for-3 with a walk, run scored and RBI. Kortney Campbell went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Brittany Mayhill recorded two hits in four at-bats with a run scored and two RBIs.
 
Game Two – TU 3, ERAU 1
 
Osteen knocked in Zimmerman to put the Eagles ahead 1-0 in the second inning of game two. The Blue and Gold squandered the opportunity to tack on some more runs when Haleigh Lewis got cut down at the plate on a baserunning miscue to end the inning.
 
A two-out RBI double from Aimee Johnson tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom half of the inning.
 
The score remained tied until the Night Hawks launched a pair of solo homers in the fourth inning, one from Nicolosi and one from Nadal, her second of the day. That put TU ahead, 3-1, a lead they would make stand up.
 
Embry-Riddle had a final chance to score in the sixth inning but Krizzy Menez was thrown out trying to score on a ground ball to the shortstop.
 
Alexis Estrada (6-7) got the start and the loss for the Eagles, pitching four innings and giving up all three runs on five hits, walking one and striking out one. Zimmerman pitched two perfect innings in relief and went 2-for-3 with a run scored at the plate. Lewis also went 2-for-3 while Osteen finished 1-for-3 with an RBI.
 
Aimee Johnson (5-4) pitched a complete game to pick up the win, allowing one run on eight hits with no walks or strikeouts. Johnson threw one wild pitch and hit one batter. She also went 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI at the dish, while Nicolosi was 1-for-3 with a solo homer and Nada was 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two runs scored.
 
The Eagles return to action tomorrow afternoon when they take on No. 17 South Carolina Beaufort in a doubleheader in Hardeeville, S.C. beginning at 1 p.m.