DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle softball turned in a pair of solid performances on Wednesday, winning both ends of a doubleheader against visiting NCAA III Concordia College from Moorhead, Minnesota. Eagle pitchers were dominant on the day, limiting the Cobbers to a total of four hits and two walks while racking up 14 strikeouts. The wins improve ERAU's season record to 3-7, while the Cobbers drop to 0-2.
Game 1 - ERAU 3, CC 1
The Blue and Gold got on the board first on a two-run single from Raquelli Bianco in the third, scoring Anna Battison and Kelsey McDonnell. McDonnell opened the inning with a walk and stole second before Battison singled through the left side.
The Cobbers cut the lead in half on a two-out RBI single off the bat of Kellie Morehouse in the top of the sixth. Embry-Riddle regained its two-run lead after Robi Zimmerman singled home Talia Barraco to make it a 3-1 game.
Taylor Cowan set the Cobbers down in order in the seventh to nail down her first collegiate save.
Bianco was 1-for-3 with two RBIs, Battison finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base and Zimmerman was 1-for-1 with two walks and an RBI.
Zimmerman (1-4) earned the win, pitching the first four innings, giving up just one hit and striking out five. Cowan tossed the final three innings, allowing an unearned run on one hit, walking one and striking out one.
Morehouse was 1-for-2 with an RBI and Mackenzie McCloud went 1-for-3 with a double for the Cobbers.
Hilary Rotunda (0-1) took the complete game loss, giving up three runs on five hits, walking three and striking out six.
Game 2 - ERAU 4, CC 1
ERAU wasted no time jumping out in front in game two as Bianco helped herself with a run-scoring single in the first inning, driving home Battison to make it 1-0 Eagles.
Kailah Rain picked up her first RBI of the season in the second inning, scoring McDonnell on a single through the left side to double the lead to 2-0.
McDonnell knocked in a run with an RBI groundout in the fourth that scored Haleigh Lewis, increasing the Eagle lead to 3-0.
The Cobbers put a run on the board in the sixth on a sac fly from Ashley Tibbetts, but Alexis Sutton got the run back for the Blue and Gold with an RBI double in the bottom half of the inning that drove home Lewis, making it a 4-1 game.
Concordia threatened in the seventh after getting a one-out triple from Devonie Smith, but Bianco closed out the game with back-to-back strikeouts to finish off the 4-1 win, completing the doubleheader sweep.
Lewis went 2-for-3 with a double, triple and two runs scored for the Eagles, while Rain finished 3-for-3 and Sutton was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Bianco (2-3) earned the complete game win, allowing just one unearned run on two hits, walking one and striking out eight.
Morehouse went 1-for-3 for the Cobbers and Smith was 1-for-3 with a triple, accounting for both of CC's hits in the game.
Abigail Haraldson (0-1) pitched a complete game and took the loss, allowing four runs on 10 hits with a walk and a strikeout.
The Eagles are back in action at the Daytona State College Softball Complex on Friday afternoon when they play host to Madonna in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
