DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle softball team returned home to face Tampa in an Sunshine State Conference doubleheader on Friday.
ERAU held the lead in both games, but the Spartans proved to be too much for the Eagles. Tampa handed the Blue and Gold a pair of tough losses. A nine-run inning led to a 10-7 win for the Spartans in game one, followed by the visitors winning a hard fought nine inning game 5-4.
Maggie Scott increased her active hit streak to 16 games to set the standard for the longest hit streak in ERAU history.
In game one, the Eagles faced a tough competitor in the circle in the form of Makaleigh Dooley who entered the day tied for an SSC-low 1.06 ERA.
ERAU eventually broke through against the senior, plating four runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Katy Thompson started the rally with a single down the left-field line. Singles by
Michy Ramos and Reanne Drayton followed to load the bases. A single by
Savannah Brockenbrough got the Eagles on the board.
Jamie Mead's RBI single made it a 2-0 game. The inning ended after Scott's two RBI single to centerfield.
After cruising through the first five innings,
Jayla Jackson began to get into hot water in the sixth. Two singles and a hit batter loaded the bases for Tampa. A two RBI single down the left-field line made it a 4-2 game. Jackson was replaced in the circle by
Lisa Hop, but the sophomore was unable to stop the bleeding. The Spartans finished the inning with nine runs on seven hits to take a 9-4 lead. Tampa added another run in the seventh to increase its lead to 10-4.
The Eagles did not go down without a fight in the seventh. ERAU scored three runs on two hits while taking advantage of two Tampa errors. The inning was highlighted by an RBI double by Ramos. ERAU was unable to complete the comeback attempt, falling short 10-7.
Scott and Ramos led the Eagles with two hits each. Brockenbrough and Scott had two RBIs each. Jackson finished with four earned runs in 5.1 innings pitched.
Similar to game one, ERAU started the second game by getting on the board first. Thompson's RBI double with two outs plated
Mariana Pereira to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Tampa responded in the third inning by scoring three runs on two hits with three walks. ERAU continued to stay in the game. Ramos doubled again in the bottom of the fourth to score Thompson who reached on an error. The Spartans added an insurance run in the top of the fifth to make it a 4-2 ballgame.
That lead held until the bottom of the sixth when the Eagles sparked a comeback. A Ramos single, followed by a double by
ReAnne Drayton gave ERAU runners on second and third with one out. A flyout gave Tampa the second out and was not deep enough to send Ramos from third. Brockenbrough came through in the clutch again with a two RBI single down the left field line to tie the game at four.
The Eagles thought they put the game away in the eighth. With two outs in the inning, ERAU had runners on first and second. The stage was set for
Lia Johnson to walk it off. The junior sent a flare down the left field line.
Callie Rodriguez rounded third, but she was thrown out at home by the left fielder to keep the Spartans alive.
Tampa took the lead the following inning after an error and RBI double. ERAU went down in order in the bottom of the ninth. The Spartans took game two, 5-4.
Ramos and Brockenbrough led the Eagles in the game with two hits each. Hop pitched all nine innings for ERAU. She allowed four earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.
The Eagles will finish their series against Tampa with a single game on Friday. First pitch at the ERAU Softball Stadium takes place at 11 a.m.
