DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle softball team concluded its series with Tampa on Saturday in a seven-inning pitcher's duel.
Both teams were held scoreless for the first five innings of action.
Jayla Jackson and Makaleigh Dooley put on pitching clinics in the circle. Tampa took advantage of an ERAU error to plate three runs in the top of the sixth. The Eagles were unable to recover, eventually falling to the Spartans, 4-1.
Jackson was charged with just one earned run in six innings pitched. ERAU mustered six hits on offense, led by
Savannah Brockenbrough and
Katy Thompson who tallied two hits each.
Maggie Scott went 0-for-3 in today's game to snap her record 16-game hit streak.
Tampa was in position to break the game's scoreless tie in the third. The Spartans had runners on first and third with one out. Jackson forced two pop outs to escape the inning unscathed.
The Eagles had their chance to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Brockenbrough started the rally with a one-out single.
Mariana Pereira followed with a single up the middle, moving Brockenbrough to third and advancing to second on the throw to give ERAU runners on second and third with one out. A groundout to the pitcher held the runners in place, and another groundout ended the inning to preserve the 0-0 ballgame.
Tampa led off the sixth with a single through the left side. A fielder's choice and bunt singled followed to give the Spartans runners on first and second with one out. Jackson nearly got out of the jam after a pop out forced the runners to stay put; however, Tampa's single up the middle scored the first run of the game. Jackson almost limited the damage to one run, but an error on a pop fly allowed to more runs to score to make it a 3-0 ballgame.
ERAU answered in the bottom of the inning. With Brockenbrough on second, Thompson doubled to deep centerfield to get the Eagles on the board. Unfortunately for the hosts, she was stranded on second to end the inning.
The Spartans added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, but it was not needed as the Eagles went down in order in the bottom of the inning to lose 4-1.
ERAU will continue its home stand next weekend in the series with Palm Beach Atlantic. First pitch on Friday will take place under the lights in the ERAU Softball Stadium at 7 p.m.
