CLERMONT, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle softball team pulled off a pair of wins on Friday, knocking the defending tournament champions Webber International out of the tournament before ousting Thomas in a five-inning mercy rule win. The Eagles also jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning against Southeastern before that game was suspended due to rain. ERAU and SEU will pick it up in the third inning tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m.
 
Game 1 – ERAU 3, WIU 2
 
The Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead, scoring on a fielding error and a squeeze play in the first inning. The Warriors cut the lead in half in the second but Savannah Smith singled home Chanley Burge in the fourth to regain a two-run lead. Webber scored once in the fifth but the Blue and Gold held on for a 3-2 win, knocking the Warriors out of the tournament.
 
Robi Zimmerman (4-12) got the win, tossing all seven innings for the Eagles. She allowed two runs (one earned) on nine hits, striking out three and walking none. Zimmerman also went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk at the plate.
 
Kim Martin (5-10) took the loss, allowing three runs (one earned) on eight hits in six innings of work. Martin walked two and did not record a strikeout. Kalei Levy was 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Warrior offense.
 
Game 2 – ERAU 11, TU 3 (5 inn.)
 
As they did against Webber, the Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of Zimmerman.
 
The Blue and Gold tacked on four more in the second, scoring single runs on RBI doubles from Alex Wood and Savannah Smith along with an RBI single from Dee Espinosa.
 
After Thomas scored a pair in the third to cut the lead to 6-2, ERAU answered with four runs in the fourth keyed by a two-run double from Zimmerman scoring Savannah Smith and Sarah Huey. That double put the Eagles ahead 10-2 heading to the fifth.
 
The Night Hawks plated a run in the top of the fifth to temporarily stave off the mercy rule, but an error in the bottom half allowed Samantha Smith to score, ending the game with the Eagles victorious 11-3 thanks to the mercy rule.
 
Alexis Estrada (11-9) pitched all five innings, allowing three runs on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Zimmerman led the Eagles offensively, finishing 2-for-3 with a double, home run and four RBIs.
 
Aimee Johnson (5-9) took the loss for Thomas, allowing five runs (four earned) in 1.1 innings of work. Taylor Nicolosi went 2-for-3 with two doubles and all three RBIs for the Night Hawks.
 
Game 3 – ERAU 3, Southeastern 0 (suspended – top of the 3rd)
 
The Blue and Gold currently hold a 3-0 lead in the top of the third, with all three runs crossing the plate in the third inning. Dee Espinosa scored the first run on a wild pitch and Savannah Smith made it 2-0 when she scored on a Fire error. Samantha Smith singled home Huey with the third run in the final at-bat before the game was suspended.
 
The game will resume with Chanley Burge batting with two outs and runners at first and second for Embry-Riddle.
 
The ERAU-SEU game will resume at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, weather permitting. The loser of the game will be eliminated while the winner will advance to take on No. 7 St. Thomas at 12 p.m. The winner of that game will move on to the championship against No. 1 USCB at 2:30 p.m., with the if-necessary game slated for 5 p.m.