DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –
Kelsi Collins had one of her best outings of the season on Tuesday as the No. 21 Embry-Riddle softball team split a doubleheader with Flagler at Radiology Associates Field. Collins carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning of the Eagles' (23-12, 14-7 Sunshine State Conference) 4-2 game-one win over the Saints (25-20, 9-9 Peach Belt Conference) before Flagler struck back and took game two 7-2.
Game 1 | Flagler - 2, No. 21 Embry-Riddle - 4
Embry-Riddle caught fire at the plate early by putting the opening three batters on base in the bottom of the first.
Mahaliyah Sandridge walked and
Lia Johnson singled to set up
ReAnne Drayton for a two-RBI triple, her first three-bagger of the season. Drayton then scored on a groundout by
Maggie Scott to make it a three-run inning.
The Eagles tacked on another run one inning later when Johnson pushed
Mia Macchia across the plate with a single to second base to make it a 4-0 lead.
Meanwhile in the circle, Collins was literally untouchable. She retired every batter faced through the first five frames with six strikeouts in that timespan. Eventually, the perfect game was broken up in the sixth on a hit, but the senior kept the Saints at bay.
Then in the seventh, Flagler threatened to pull a late-game comeback. Two hits and an error erased the shutout to put the tying run on base, but Collins struck out two of the final three hitters to preserve Embry-Riddle's 13th-straight home win.
Sandridge (2-for-2) and Johnson (2-for-3) led the way offensively with a run each, and an RBI for the latter, while Drayton picked up a team-high two RBI along with a run.
Collins (16-5) went the distance and allowed only two runs, one of which was unearned, on three hits, no walks and tied her season-high in strikeouts with nine.
Game 2 | Flagler - 7, No. 21 Embry-Riddle - 2
Game two was an offensive struggle for the Eagles. It wasn't until the fourth inning when the Blue and Gold got its first hit of the game. After the Saints used an Embry-Riddle miscue in the third to score the opening run, the Eagles retaliated in the fourth when Scott recorded a two-out double. Each of the next three batters were beamed by a ball to push Scott to the plate and tie the game.
Unfortunately, Flagler got the bats going in the fifth to score three times on four hits. Embry-Riddle had an answer in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI hit from Drayton to plate Johnson, but that's all the offense could do. Another trio of runs were added by the Saints in the seventh to make the score 7-2, a deficit too large to overcome.
Scott was the only Eagle to record multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a run.
Mallory Kinahan (7-7) surrendered seven runs, six earned, on eight hits and two walks with a strikeout.
Delaney Morgan also made an appearance in the circle, facing two batters in the seventh.
Embry-Riddle plays its final home series of the season this weekend against Saint Leo. Senior Night is on Friday with a first pitch of 7 p.m.
Today's doubleheader is presented by the Ormond Brewing Company.
