DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle softball team opened the 2016 season with a pair of wins over Keiser on Friday. Home runs and a combined 10 shutout innings pitched by Robi Zimmerman and Raquelli Bianco propelled the Eagles to 3-0 and 8-0 victories against the visiting Seahawks. Bianco hit a two-run homer in the first inning of the second game while Zimmerman hit hers over the fence in the third inning of the same game. The wins bring ERAU to 2-0 on the year, which marks the first time the Eagles have opened the season with back-to-back wins in program history. The Seahawks begin their season falling to 0-2.

Game 1 - ERAU 3, KU 0
The first game was all Bianco as she recorded all three RBIs and pitched five shutout innings, to earn the win in the circle. 

The Eagles got off to a quick start with Anna Battison hitting a lead-off single in the first inning, advancing to second on a stolen base and then to third on a wild pitch. Kailah Rain then drew a walk and promptly stole second base as well. Bianco was able to help herself out by driving in Battison and Rain with a double down the right field line.

In the third inning, the Eagles upped their lead by one. Rain singled to center field and ended up quickly on third following a stolen base and wild pitch. Bianco then earned her third RBI of the game as she hit her second double of the night, this time down the left field line to score Rain.
Defensively, the Eagles pulled a double play in the sixth inning with Alice Donohoe collecting a ball in the circle and tossing it to Bianco at second base who threw a bullet to Haleigh Lewis at first. Donohoe closed out the final two innings in the circle, which included three consecutive outs on ground balls hit back to her to finish the game. 

Bianco recorded the win, giving up three hits, two walks and striking out two. She was also 2-for-3 in the batters box with two doubles. Kassidy Simons and Lewis also recorded doubles in the win.
 
Game 2 - ERAU 8, KU 0 (5 inn.)
In the second game, Bianco picked up where she left off by clobbering a two-run home run ball over the centerfield fence to give ERAU the early advantage. Zimmerman then singled through the left side and advanced to second following Lewis' walk. Simons picked up the RBI as she knocked Zimmerman in on a single up the middle in the next at bat.

Zimmerman then added some insurance for herself in the circle by hitting a two-run homerun of her own in the third inning. She sent a ball over the left field fence to up the Eagles' lead to 5-0.

In the fifth inning, the Seahawks led off with Kylie Waters reaching first base on an infield single. She then worked her way around the bases on a single by Shana Thomas a throwing error on the Eagles. Zimmerman worked her way out of the jam by popping Heather Shaprio's ball up in foul territory for Gabriela Obia to handle, then striking out Tyler Thomas and forcing Stormy Stokes to ground out to second baseman, Victoria Reed.

The Eagles were able to score three in the bottom of the fifth inning to enforce the run-rule and end the game early. The inning started with Battison reaching first on a ball hit through the left side and advancing on an error on the next at bat. Bianco earned another RBI, her third of the night, by singling up the middle to score Battison. Up next, Zimmerman drew a walk as Bianco moved up to second base. Lewis then slammed a ball to right center to score Bianco and take Zimmerman to third. Simons was able to end the game on a sacrifice fly to right field to score Zimmerman.

Bianco was big again for the Eagles in the game, going 2-3 with a homerun and three RBIs. Zimmerman was 2-2 with 2 RBIs in the game including a homerun. In the circle, she pitched five shutout innings and only gave up four hits with one walk while striking out three.

The Eagles have the rest of the weekend off before returning to the ERAU Softball Stadium to host South Carolina Beaufort in a doubleheader on Friday, Feb. 12 beginning at 4 p.m.