DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Late-inning drama was in the air Wednesday night at the ERAU Softball Stadium, as the Eagles (18-6) were able to rally down a run with two outs to emerge victorious in game two by a score of 3-2. Embry-Riddle used a big third inning in game one to cruise to a 6-1 win over Hillsdale (3-15).
In the opener, Embry-Riddle jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning.
Maggie Scott led things off with a single to center field and quickly advanced to second with a stolen base. After a pair of flyouts to left, Scott stole third and subsequently scored when
ReAnne Drayton singled to right center. After a stolen base,
Michy Ramos walk and wild pitch put runners in scoring position,
Jamie Mead doubled just inside the right field line to clear the bases and make it a 3-0 game.
Another Eagle run would cross in the fourth when
Katy Thompson doubled to left to bring Scott all the way around from first after she reached on a hit by pitch.
Hillsdale got on the board in the fifth on a single to right center by Elaine Townley to score Sarah Wojcik.
ERAU would get two more runs to make it 6-1 in the bottom of the sixth on a towering two-out two-run homerun to left center by Thompson that landed about 1/3 of the way up the light pole beyond the fence.
Jayla Jackson (9-2) would make short work of the Chargers in the seventh as she went the distance for the eighth time this season. The senior struck out eight against two walks and allowed one run on three hits. Scott and Drayton both went 2-3 and scored three times between them, while
Katy Thompson went 2-4 with three runs batted in. Mead drove in a pair and finished 1-2 with a walk.
Offense was at a premium in the nightcap, as just one run scored in the first five innings of play. That run would come in the Embry-Riddle second, as
Lia Johnson singled to left center to score
Jamie Mead to take the early lead.
The two teams would swap zeros until the sixth inning, when with one out, Hillsdale tied the game on an RBI groundout with runners at second and third. A double to the warning track in left would plate the second run of the inning and give the Chargers the lead.
ERAU had a chance to go back ahead with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but a diving play in the right center gap by the centerfielder with bases loaded took away a hit from
Caitlinjoy Hammer and at least two runs.
After
Kelsi Collins stranded a pair in the top of the seventh, it was up to the Eagles to answer the call in their final at bats of the day. After a strikeout and groundout started the frame,
Katy Thompson reached base on an infield single to second base.
Lisa Hop followed with a single to shortstop up the middle that saw both runners move into scoring position when the ball caromed into centerfield. The game would end on a flyball to very shallow centerfield off the bat of
ReAnne Drayton that managed to find green between two Chargers and plate Hop and Thompson for the walk-off winner.
Collins (6-3) turned in another strong outing, striking out a pair and allowing two runs on six hits. Hop led the way at the plate with a 2-4 game, and Drayton's two runs batted in were the biggest of the contest.
The Eagles return to Sunshine State Conference play this weekend as Nova Southeastern comes to town for a three-game set, with game one scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Friday night at the ERAU Softball Stadium.
