LAKELAND, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle softball team earned a Sunshine State Conference series win by splitting Saturday's doubleheader against Florida Southern.
After trailing 3-0 in game one, ERAU (16-13, 8-7 SSC) fought back to clinch the series with a 5-3 win. Game two was a back and forth affair that required an extra inning of play. Unfortunately for the Eagles, a controversial call allowed Florida Southern (13-17, 5-13 SSC) to walk off with a 9-8 win in the bottom of the eighth.
Maggie Scott was the highlight of the day for the Eagles. The junior combined for four hits on the day to become the career leader in hits for ERAU with 152 base knocks. She also tied assistant coach
Raquelli Bianco's record 14-game hit streak. Scott is now the third Eagle to eclipse the 150-hit mark.
The Eagles were forced to play from behind in game one after Florida Southern plated three runs in the bottom of the first. A walk and hit by pitch led to an RBI double to give the Mocs a 1-0 lead. A bases-loaded double later in the inning made it a 3-0 ballgame through the first frame.
ERAU struggled to string hits together through the first four innings of play. After a troublesome first inning,
Lisa Hop settled down in the circle. The sophomore allowed just three hits the rest of the game.
Similar to yesterday's series opener,
Callie Rodriguez led off the Eagles big inning with a hit by pitch in the fifth. Back-to back errors allowed Rodriguez to score and gave the Blue and Gold runners on second and third with no outs. Scott followed with an RBI single to centerfield to make it a 3-2 game. A fielder's choice by
Mariana Pereira tied the game at three; however, the ERAU rally ended with the bases loaded.
Both teams were held scoreless in the sixth as Hop continued to frustrate the FSC hitters.
With the momentum on their side, the Eagles were determined to complete the comeback. Pereira reached second on an error to start the seventh. A single by
Katy Thompson put runners on first and third with no outs. Freshman
Michy Ramos came through with a two-RBI double to give ERAU a 5-3 lead.
That is all the run support Hop needed as she set down the Mocs in order in the bottom of the inning to earn the win.
Thompson and Ramos led the Eagles with two hits each. Hop finished her complete game with nine strikeouts.
The second game of the day was the highest scoring contest of the weekend. ERAU was first to get on the board in the second inning after RBIs from
Jamie Mead and Scott. The Mocs answered with a two-run home run in the bottom of the second to tie the game at two.
FSC took a one run lead in the third after an error, but ERAU responded with three runs of its own in the fourth. Two runs scored on a triple by Hop. The sophomore scored on a sac fly to give the Eagles a 5-3 lead.
The Mocs battled back by scoring three more runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-5 lead. ERAU plated three runs of its own in the sixth, including an RBI single from Scott to take an 8-6 lead. Florida Southern had one more comeback left in them scoring two runs in the sixth to tie the game at eight.
The Blue and Gold had the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the eighth; however, a double play and lineout stifled the Eagles' rally. In the bottom of the inning, the Mocs had a runner on first with one out. A sac bunt resulted in a throwing error which allowed the winning run to score. There was a discussion whether the Florida Southern runner gave a path for the Eagles to make a clean throw; however, the umpires ruled that she did not interfere on the play, resulting in a 9-8 win for FSC.
Scott and Rodriguez led the Eagles with three hits each in the second game. Hop and Pereira recorded with two RBIs each.
ERAU's next game takes place on Tuesday when it faces Albany State in a non-conference doubleheader. The first game in Albany, Ga. takes place at 2 p.m.
