DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle softball team returned home for a brief, two-game home stand on Monday night as they played host to the visiting Cougars of Columbia College. The Cougars won the first game, 8-0 in five innings, while the Eagles rallied back for a 4-3 victory in the nightcap.

The results move ERAU's record to 15-12 on the year, while CC goes to 11-8.

Game 1 - CC 8, ERAU 0 (5 inn.)

Columbia took the lead within the first two batters of the game and never looked back. Jamie Holmes tripled to lead off and Carly Spalding drove her on a fielder's choice play in which everyone was safe. After Spalding stole second, Marli Hayes singled her home to make it 2-0 Cougars.

CC added a pair of runs in the third, scoring once on a Whitni Howell RBI fielder's choice and again on a Lauren McCroskie RBI single, making it a 4-0 game.

In the top of the fifth, Columbia batted around, scoring four times, including a Taylor Atwood RBI triple and another Howell RBI fielder's choice.

The Eagles couldn't push across a run through the first five innings, and due to the eight-run rule, the game ended after five innings with Columbia winning, 8-0.

Robi Zimmerman (6-7) took the loss, pitching four innings and allowing six runs (four earned) on seven hits, walking one and striking out two.

Sarah Huey, Samantha Smith, Haleigh Lewis and Zimmerman each recorded a hit to account for the Blue and Gold's four hits.

McCroskie got the win, improving to 3-3 with a five-inning complete game shutout, giving up four hits and a walk with no strikeouts.

Hayes was 2-for-2 with a double, a walk, two runs scored and an RBI, while Atwood finished 2-for-2 with a triple, a run scored and an RBI.

Game 2 - ERAU 4, CC 3

The second game started out similar to the first, with the Cougars plating a run in the first and two more in the second to take an early 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second, the Eagles finally got to the Columbia pitching staff, plating their first run of the day on an Alex Wood RBI single, cutting the deficit to 3-1.

The next inning, Espinosa doubled home Smith to make it a 3-2 ballgame and two batters later, Jessica Osteen launched her first home run of the season well over the center-field wall, tying the game at three.

In the fourth, Huey hit a sacrifice fly that scored Jennifer Estrada to give ERAU a 4-3 lead, which would prove to be the game-winning run.

Alexis Estrada (9-5) got the win, doing a great job to settle down after the three runs scored in the first two frames. Estrada pitched all seven innings, giving up three runs on six hits, walking one and striking out three.

Osteen went 3-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and an RBI, while Espinosa was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Huey finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and Talia Barraco was 2-for-3.

TIffany Urwiler (1-1) took the loss, pitching 3.1 innings in relief of Amber Boehme, who left in the third inning with the game tied 3-3. Urwiler gave up one run on six hits, walking one and striking out one.

Brittiany Tjarks was 1-for-3 with a two-run home run while Atwood went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

The Eagles return to the field on Saturday, March 29 when they hit the road for the final regular season road trip of 2014, beginning with a doubleheader at St. Thomas at 1 p.m. On Sunday, March 30, ERAU will face off against Northwood in West Palm Beach, Fla. in another 1 p.m. doubleheader. Live stats for both doubleheaders will be available at erauathletics.com/live.