ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle softball team split their two games at the Old Coast Classic Saturday, falling to Valdosta State 7-5 before bouncing back in the nightcap to defeat Wingate 7-4.
 
In the day's first contest with 24th-ranked Valdosta State (4-3), the Eagles offense was held in check for the early part of the game by starter Samantha Richards. The Blazers offense supported Richards by scoring four runs over the course of the second and third innings.
 
Following a scoreless first inning, Logan Hill gave the Blazers the lead right away in the second, as she hit a solo homerun to left field. After Kiley Robb reached on an error, Lacey Crandall singled to right center to plate Robb and make it a 2-0 game. Hill would leave the yard again in the third inning on a two-run homerun to left center following a Nicole Pennington single to make it 4-0 in favor of the visiting team on the scoreboard.
 
The Eagles offense got rolling in the bottom of the fourth inning. Following singles by Maggie Scott and Lia Johnson, Katy Thompson was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Following a pitching change, the Blue & Gold would plate three runs, courtesy of a ReAnne Drayton single, a bases-loaded walk by Jamie Mead and a sacrifice fly by Jayla Jackson to make it a 4-3 game.
 
That score would not hold long, as VSU answered with a three-spot of their own in the top of the fifth inning. A leadoff homerun from Pennington made it 5-3, and after a walk and pair of Eagle errors, a single from Crandall back through the box would plate a pair to make it 7-3.
 
Embry-Riddle would get a run back in the bottom of the inning on a couple of Blazer errors, as Scott reached on an error by the left fielder with one away and would score with two outs on an error by the shortstop on a grounder off the bat of Thompson.
 
Following a scoreless top of the seventh, the Eagles were able to plate a run with two outs in the person of Lisa Hop when she came in on a wild pitch. With Scott at third, Drayton represented the tying run at the plate, but the rally fell short as the game ended on a flyout to left field with a final score of 7-5.
 
Kelsi Collins (1-1) took the loss, working into the fifth inning and allowing seven runs, four earned, on eight hits while collecting three strikeouts. Jayla Jackson worked three scoreless innings of relief while striking out four. Scott went 2-4 with a pair of runs and Johnson was 2-3 with a run. Drayton, Mead and Jackson all drove in runs for the Eagles.

Shayne O'Connell (2-2) picked up the win in relief for the Blazers, working the final four innings, allowing two runs, one earned, and three hits. Pennington, Hill and Crandall all had two hits for the Blazers, while Crandall and Hill each drove in three.
 
In the day's final game against Wingate, the Eagles (3-2) grabbed the lead in the second inning. Following a scoreless first frame of play, Jamie Mead led off the bottom of the second with a single. Following a sac bunt from Michy Ramos and a single by Jayla Jackson, Mead crossed home on an error by the left fielder on a batted ball by Savannah Brockenbrough. With two outs, Maggie Scott singled to center to score Jackson from second to make it 2-0.
 
The Bulldogs (0-4) would answer with two runs in the third inning to tie the game. With two on and two out in the inning, Aubrey Reep singled to the right center gap to plate Haley Cashwell and Leslie McNeill.
 
After being held scoreless in the bottom of the third, Embry-Riddle grabbed the lead for good in the fourth inning as five runs came across to make it a 7-2 game. Scott started the scoring as she drove in her second and third runs of the night with a double to deep left center to score Brockenbrough and pinch-runner Rachel Bryant. Following the first of two pitching changes in the inning, Lia Johnson drove in Lisa Hop with a groundout to second base. After Katy Thompson was hit by a pitch and with Scott at third, the Blue & Gold executed a double steal of second and home to make it 6-2. ReAnne Drayton concluded scoring matters in the inning when she singled to right center to plate Thompson. The Eagles would leave a pair on base following the second pitching change of the inning.
 
Wingate would manage to trim the lead to 7-4 in the top of the sixth inning. Hop, on in relief of starting pitcher Kelsi Collins, loaded the bases and turned things over to Jackson. After a long at-bat, McNiell drew a walk to force home a run for the Bulldogs. During Cashwell's at-bat, a wild pitch to the screen allowed Gracyn Polk to score. Jackson would leave two runners on after inducing a pair of pop-ups to end the inning.
 
After the Eagles were retired in order in their half of the sixth, Jackson went 1-2-3 in the seventh and recorded a strikeout to end the game. Collins went three innings in her start, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out a pair. Hop (1-0) picked up the win in relief, working 2 1/3 innings and being charged with two runs, with only one being earned. Jackson worked the final 1 2/3 innings and allowed a hit and a strikeout.
 
Scott turned in her second 2-4 game of the day, this one with three runs batted in and a run scored. Johnson, Drayton and Brockenbrough also drove in runs and scored. Jackson and Mead had the other hits for the Eagles and each scored once.
 
Wingate starter Raechel Crutcher (0-3) took the loss, lasting just 3 1/3 innings and allowing six runs, of which only two were earned. Sam Hogan worked 1/3 of an inning and allowed an unearned run, and Kaitlyn Knuckles pitched 2 1/3 scoreless to finish the night in the circle for the Bulldogs.
 
Cashwell and Mary Claire Coyne had two of the nine hits for Wingate on the night. Aubrey Reep was credited with two runs batted in, while McNiell had one to her credit. Seven Bulldogs collected base hits in the game.
 
The Eagles will open the home campaign Friday February 14 against Lynn at 7 p.m. for the first of a three game Sunshine State Conference series.