ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle softball team bounced back to take two games from Eckerd on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles won the first game 6-3 behind
Kassidy Simons' 10 strikeouts. The second game the Blue and Gold won 8-1 led by two doubles from
Haleigh Lewis. With the series win, the Eagles improve to 32-13 on the year while Eckerd falls to 27-23-1.
Game 1 - ERAU 6, EC 3
The Eagles got out to a quick lead in game one of the doubleheader.
Anna Battison got on base with a walk, followed by
Raquelli Bianco's single and
Kassidy Simons getting hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded,
Robi Zimmerman grounded out but Battisonw as able to score the first run for the Eagles. Bianco then crossed home on a wild pitch.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Tritons got one back on an Eagle error.
Holding a 2-1 advantage, the Eagles added to their lead in the top of the third. For the third time in the game, the Blue and Gold loaded the bases. Zimmerman and
Kailah Rain walked while
Rae Heuer reached on a fielder's choice.
Gabriella Obia then singled to left center field to score Zimmerman and Heuer.
Eckerd erased the Eagle lead to just one run in the bottom of the fourth. Back-to-back hits and an intentional walk loaded the bases. The Tritons scored on a fielder's choice and a wild pitch.
In the top of the sixth, the Blue and Gold scored two more. Obia singled to left field and then with two outs, Battison got a hit. This allowed Obia to score, giving the Eagles a 5-3 advantage. Bianco then beat out an infield hit to allow Battison to be the Eagles sixth run of the day.
The Tritons threatened in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on third base but Simons struck out two to end the game.
Simons went the complete game, allowing three runs, one earned and six hits. She also struck out 10, her second double-digit performance this season. At the plate, Obia led the team in RBI's with two going 2-for-2. Battison was also perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 and scoring twice.
Game 2 – ERAU 8, EC 1
Mirroring the first game, the Eagles jumped out to a lead in the top of the first. Simons singled up the middle to get on base and then Zimmerman and Lewis hit back-to-back doubles to the exact same spots in left center field.
In the top of the second the Eagles extended their lead. Rain led off with a single and moved her way to third base. Then, Battison bunted and on a throwing error not only reached first base but was able to go all way around the bases to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead.
The Blue and Gold scored two more runs in the top of the fourth. Heuer had a lead off singled to left field and moved over to third base on the next to Eagle outs. She then scored as
Natalie Morales singled into the knee of starting pitcher, Nikole Van Gennep.
In the top of the sixth the Eagles took a 6-0 lead. Obia singled to right center to start and scored as Bianco hit a single to right center as well. Zimmerman then reached on a walk before Lewis knocked her second double of the game to left center. Burge scored on the play. Lewis scored later in the inning as Rain had an infield single.
The Tritons got one back in the bottom of the sixth, scoring on an Eagle throwing error, to make it 6-1.
The Eagles weren't done scoring, as they added two more runs in the top of seventh. Simons got things going with a single to center field and then
Chanley Burge came into pinch run.
Bianco picked up the win in the circle, throwing a complete game. She allowed one run on five hits while striking out four.
All nine Eagles in the batting order recorded a hit in the game, led by Lewis who was 2-for-4 with three RBI's. Rain was 2-for-3 with one RBI in the win.
Embry-Riddle returns home for the final three-game series of the year next weekend. Nova Southeastern comes to town on Friday, April 29 at 4pm for a doubleheader with the series concluding on Saturday, April 30 starting at 12.
