DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle softball team got a busy week at home off to a good start Tuesday at the ERAU Softball Stadium, sweeping a non-conference doubleheader against Lee by scores of 6-0 and 7-4. The Eagles (16-6) used big innings in both games to take and hold leads against the Flames (13-10).
Game one saw two innings of scoreless softball before the Eagles broke things open in the third inning with a five spot.
Caitlinjoy Hammer got things rolling with a leadoff single to centerfield.
Lia Johnson reached on a bunt single, and the pair moved into scoring position on a groundout by
Maggie Scott. A sac fly to right by
Katy Thompson saw Hammer cross the plate for the first run of the game. With two outs in the inning, the floodgates opened as four more runs came across on four straight singles with an error mixed in between.
ERAU tacked on another run in the fourth inning as
Lisa Hop hit a sacrifice fly to left that would bring home Scott after she led off with a single and stole second and third.
Jayla Jackson (8-2) turned in another strong performance, holding Lee to just two hits in a complete game effort that saw her strikeout nine and issue just two walks.
Jamie Mead went 3-3 in the game with an RBI and run scored, while
ReAnne Drayton and
Lia Johnson had two hits and a run scored each. Hop was responsible for two of the Eagles' five runs batted in during the game.
The second game of the twinbill saw the Blue & Gold waste no time posting a big inning, as they scored four in the opening frame and never looked back. After a single and back-to-back walks loaded the bases,
Michy Ramos dug in with one out and singled the other way to right to score
Maggie Scott and make it 1-0 in favor of the home team.
Jamie Mead worked a walk to force home a run in the person of
Katy Thompson, and
Savannah Brockenbrough singled through the left side to plate
Lisa Hop to make it a 3-0 game.
Caitlinjoy Hammer then hit into a fielder's choice that saw the Flames get a force out at home, but a throwing miscue to try and double up Hammer at first allowed Mead to score from second for the fourth run of the inning.
Lee would get on the board in the third inning on an RBI single to right center by Taylor De Adder to cut the lead to 4-1.
Embry-Riddle would answer back with a pair in the bottom of the inning to make it a 6-1 contest.
Lia Johnson beat out an infield single to second that brought Mead in from third after she reached on a one-out single to shortstop. Brockenbrough scored from second via a throwing error on the play for the sixth run of the contest for ERAU.
One more run would cross in the fifth for the home team, as Johnson singled to the left side of the infield to once again plate Mead and make it a 7-1 game.
Lee would not go quietly in the seventh, as they rallied for three runs to make things interesting. After three straight singles to load the bases, De Adder lined a shot to center to bring home a pair of Flames to make it 7-3. Bailey Church's single to center brought De Adder home to make it 7-4 after De Adder ended up at third following a rundown on her base knock. A strikeout of Madison Besaw wrapped up the day's festivities.
Kelsi Collins (5-3) was strong en route to her fifth win of the season, striking out seven against one walk in her fourth complete game of 2020. Hop and Johnson each went 2-3 in the game, with Johnson driving in a pair. Ramos went 2-4 with an RBI while Mead went 1-2 with a pair of walks and three runs scored.
The Eagles are back in action tomorrow evening as they welcome Hillsdale (Mich.) to Daytona Beach for the first ever matchup between the two institutions. First pitch for the doubleheader is set for 4 p.m. at the ERAU Softball Stadium.
