ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – After dropping the first of two Saturday at the Turley Athletic Complex, the Embry-Riddle softball team bounced back in game two to pick up their third Sunshine State Conference series win of the season. The Eagles (14-6, 7-2) were downed in the opener 8-0 in five innings, but rebounded to take the series finale 3-1 over Eckerd (8-12, 5-7)
 
The opener saw the Tritons take a 1-0 lead in their first at-bats of the day, as Skylar Redish reached on an RBI bunt single to score Ally Costa with bases loaded.
 
Two more runs would score in the second for Eckerd to make it a 3-0 game. Following a missed bunt attempt by Kaylin Kramer with runners at second and third, Jessica Wilson was caught too far off third base by catcher Katy Thompson, who threw behind the retreating runner to Michy Ramos. The return throw to Thompson in the ensuing run down looked to have been in time to tag out Wilson before she slid home, but following a conference by the umpires, she was ruled safe as she evaded the tag at the plate. A sac fly to center by Lauren Margolis would score Costa to make it 3-0 Tritons.
 
Eckerd scored an unearned run in the third on a sacrifice fly following a single that was bookended by a pair of ERAU errors to extend the lead to 4-0.
 
Four more runs crossed in the fourth inning for the Tritons, coming on three straight two-out singles that all found their way through the infield to bring the eight-run rule into effect. The Eagles got a couple of runners on base in the top of the fifth, but nothing would come of it as a flyout to left ended the game.
 
Lisa Hop (3-1) was charged with the loss, surrendering seven runs on four hits and walking seven. Maggie Scott and Lia Johnson had the Eagles' only hits in the contest. 
 
In the series finale, it was the Eagles who scored the first runs of the ballgame. After one out singles by Katy Thompson and Lisa Hop, ReAnne Drayton singled into left field to score Thompson to make it 1-0. Following a pop out and a Jamie Mead walk to load the bases with two outs, Savannah Brockenbrough singled back up the middle two bring home Hop and Drayton to extend the lead to 3-0.
 
Eckerd got on the board in the sixth, as Valerie Holguin went deep against Kelsi Collins to leadoff for the inning.
 
Those three early runs would be all that Collins (4-3) would need, as she held the Tritons in check for just about the entirety of the game. The junior struck out eight and allowed just one run on seven hits. Thompson went 3-4 with a run scored and Brockenbrough went 3-4 with two runs batted in. Hop carded a 2-3 game and scored, while Drayton was 2-4 with a run scored and a run driven in. The Eagles also did not strikeout in the game for the 18th time in program history and first since May 26 of last season at home against Barry.
 
The Eagles, who are halfway through a stretch of 14 games in 14 days, return home for a full slate of games over spring break, starting with a doubleheader against Lee on Tuesday at 1 p.m., followed by a doubleheader against Hillsdale Wednesday at 4 p.m. ERAU ends the week by hosting Nova Southeastern in a three game SSC series starting Friday at 7 p.m. All games will be played at the ERAU Softball Stadium.