GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Embry-Riddle softball team dropped a pair of games to open up the Gulf Coast Invitational, falling 4-2 to Faulkner and 6-5 to Campbellsville. With the losses, ERAU falls to 5-7 on the year, while Faulkner moves to 7-2 and Campbellsville improves to 16-3.
 
Game 1 – Faulkner 4, ERAU 2
 
The Eagles dug themselves a hole in the first game, with Faulkner scoring a run in the third on a solo home run and two in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead.
 
Talia Barraco got the Blue and Gold on the board with an RBI fielder's choice in the fifth. Alex Wood followed that with an infield single; Samantha Smith came home to score on the play when the pitcher threw to an uncovered first base, making it a 3-2 game.
 
Faulkner added an insurance run in the sixth and held on for a 4-2 win.
 
Smith and Rae Heuer each went 1-for-2 with a run scored, while Robi Zimmerman was 1-for-2 with a walk.
 
Zimmerman (2-4) took the loss, allowing four runs on 11 hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out five.
 
Amanda Seales finished 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and a walk, while Martin Morgan went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
 
Natalie Walker (2-1) got the win, throwing a complete game four-hitter, allowing two unearned runs with a walk and six strikeouts.
 
Game 2 – CU 6, ERAU 5
 
Both teams got the bats going early, with six runs crossing the plate in the first two innings. The Tigers opened the scoring on a leadoff home run by Kristin Benton, but the Eagles answered quickly with a 2-run double from Smith in the bottom of the first.
 
Kristin Benton singled home a run in the second to tie the game, only to have Sarah Huey and Zimmerman each drive in runs with base hits in the bottom half, putting ERAU ahead 4-2.
 
The lead increased to 5-2 on a Taylor Cowan RBI single in the fifth, scoring Ariel Brayer.
 
After the Tigers cut the lead to 5-3 with a run in the sixth, Campbellsville used the long ball in the seventh to win the game. Sara Paragon hit a solo shot to make it 5-4 and Erin Benton hit a two-run home run to put CU in the lead, 6-5. The Eagles were able to get the potential tying run to second base in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn't push the run across, falling by a 6-5 score.
 
Zimmerman and Smith each went 2-for-3 with a double; Smith drove in a pair of runs while Zimmerman plated one and drew a walk. Cowan went 1-for-1 with a stolen base and an RBI.
 
Alexis Estrada (3-3) took the loss, pitching all seven innings for the Eagles. Estrada allowed six runs on 12 hits, walking five and striking out six.
 
Paragon went 3-for-4 with a double and home run, while Kristin Benton was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.
 
Martina Riney (1-0) got the win for the Tigers, pitching the final 5.2 innings of the game. Riney gave up one run on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
 
The Eagles return to action at the Gulf Coast Invitational tomorrow morning with a 10 a.m. EST game against Sun Conference foe St. Thomas, followed by a 12 p.m. EST game against No. 23 Central Methodist. Live stats for both games will be available at erauathletics.com/live.