CLERMONT, Fla. – The 25th-ranked and top-seeded Embry-Riddle softball team got off to a rough start at the 2014 Sun Conference Tournament, falling to fourth-seeded Southeastern by a score of 10-1 in five innings on Thursday.
 
Southeastern (35-15) jumped out in front early, with the second batter of the game, Brittany LaCasse, doubling home DeVyn Barker to give SEU a 1-0 lead in the first.
 
Barker made it 2-0 in the second with an RBI bases-loaded walk and Kim Pierce hit a grounder to second that scored another run, making it 3-0 Fire after two.
 
Dee Espinosa got the Eagles (23-17) on the board with a long home run to left field in the third inning, her fourth home run of the season.
 
Pierce, who was named the conference Player of the Year on Wednesday night, backed up that award with a three-run triple in the fourth and a grand slam in the fifth, accounting for the final seven runs of the game.
 
Robi Zimmerman (10-10) took the loss, allowing seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and two walks in 2.2 innings of work. Alexis Estrada was charged with three runs in two innings of relief.
 
Espinosa was 1-for-2 with a walk and a home run while Sarah Huey was 1-for-1 with a sacrifice bunt and Haleigh Lewis was 1-for-2 with a double.
 
Lauren West (19-6) earned the complete game win, allowing one run on three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.
 
Pierce was 2-for-4 with a triple, home run and seven RBIs while Barker finished 0-for-0 with a walk, three hit-by-pitches and three runs scored.
 
The Eagles will play in an elimination game tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. against the winner of the South Carolina Beaufort-Thomas game, which is at 9 a.m