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Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Athletics

Latoria_031123_IMG_7230
Maggie Allen
2
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) ERAUSB 21-16
9
Winner Nova Southeastern NSU 27-11
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) ERAUSB
21-16
2
Final
9
Nova Southeastern NSU
27-11
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) ERAUSB 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 3
Nova Southeastern NSU 0 0 3 4 0 2 X 9 10 1

W: J. Allen (8-3) L: Morse, Shelby (6-10)

5
Winner Embry-Riddle (Fla.) ERAUSB 22-16
3
Nova Southeastern NSU 27-12
Winner
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) ERAUSB
22-16
5
Final
3
Nova Southeastern NSU
27-12
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 R H E
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) ERAUSB 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 16 4
Nova Southeastern NSU 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 3

W: Kinahan, Mallory (13-6) L: A. Drogemuel (12-6)

Game Recap: Softball | | Kyrin Mayfield | @k_mayfield97

Clutch Efforts by Morgan and Latoria Help Softball Salvage Series With 14-Inning Victory Against RV Sharks

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A Friday doubleheader turned into rare triple header for the Embry-Riddle softball team as the Eagles dropped game one of the day 9-2 to RV Nova Southeastern but then outlasted the Sharks in 14 innings to earn a 5-3 win in the longest game recorded in the NCAA II this season.

It was the third-most innings ever played in a game involving ERAU and the most since the Blue and Gold faced Florida Southern for 15 frames in 2017. Additionally, it was the first-ever occasion both the Eagles (22-16, 9-9 Sunshine State Conference) and Sharks (27-12, 11-7 SSC) entered extra innings despite meeting 17 times prior. 


Game 1 | Embry-Riddle - 2, RV Nova Southeastern - 9

Mahaliyah Sandridge reclaimed the conference lead in doubles when she hit her 12th of the season with one out in the top of the first. Delaney Morgan then grounded a ball up the middle that deflected off the shortstop's glove and into center, which allowed Sandridge to score the opening run.

The Eagles tacked on another in similar fashion in the second. This time it was Katriana Bain who notched a two-bagger off the center field fence. When Mia Macchia stepped up to the plate, she sent a high chopper to the left side of the diamond and beat out the throw to first by inches. The first baseman was frozen on the bag in disbelief. Pinch runner Serenity Jaenichen noticed the lack of awareness from the Shark, and she raced home before the tag could be applied. 

NSU fought back in the third to take a 3-2 lead on three singles and two hit batters. The deficit ballooned to 7-2 one frame later when the Sharks nearly hit for the cycle with a single, double, triple, walk and error to plate four more runners. On a positive note, the Blue and Gold did turn a 5-4-3 double play as Kelsey Kressler fielded a bouncing grounder at the hot corner and threw to Raissa Bianco at second, who then completed the play with a toss to Karina Ortiz-Munoz at first. 

The Eagles prevented the Sharks from adding to their run total in the fifth as the first two batters were retired, and then Isabelle Bonn threw her second runner out of the series when an NSU baserunner attempted to steal second. 

Another defensive miscue led to an eighth run for Nova Southeastern in the sixth while a sacrifice fly a few batters later pushed a ninth run across. 

ERAU's bats woke up in the seventh when the team loaded the bases with no outs after Macchia singled, Sandridge doubled, and Morgan walked. Unfortunately, Morgan tried to tag up and score on a fly out to shallow center but was thrown out, ending the Eagles' last scoring opportunity. 

Macchia stayed hot in game two of the series following her 3-for-4 performance on Thursday. The junior went 3-for-4 once again with an RBI. Sandridge recorded two doubles in as many at-bats, the second time in 2023 the junior notched a pair of two-baggers.

Shelby Morse (6-10) was saddled with the loss after giving up five runs on six hits and a walk over three innings. She also struck out a batter. Emma Wood relieved Morse for the final three innings in the circle and allowed four runs, though only one was earned, on four hits.


Game 2 | Embry-Riddle - 5, RV Nova Southeastern - 3 (14 innings)

Embry-Riddle was the more offensively aggressive team early on in game two. Three of the first four Eagles reached base in the first as Macchia, Sandridge and Lauren Latoria each singled to load the bases with one out, but all were left stranded. 

Fortunately, the Blue and Gold made the most of a scoring opportunity in the second after Kressler got a base hit, Leah Oberkehr received a base on balls, and both advanced 60 feet on a sac bunt from Macchia. Sandridge then smacked a double to center to bring both runners in and give ERAU a 2-0 lead.

Nova Southeastern responded in the bottom half of the inning when a two-out error brought home a Shark on third. 

Another error at third, coupled with a triple, pushed another two NSU runners home in the fourth as the Sharks stole the lead from the Eagles at 3-2. 

The innings continued to pass as ERAU was unable to get anything going offensively, that is, until the seventh. With two outs and a 1-2 count, Morgan lifted a pitch over the left field fence to tie the game at 3-3, which eventually sent the contest into extra innings. 

The bats cooled off as the tension creeped higher as the two teams would go scoreless over the next six innings. Both squads went down in order in the eighth and were also hitless in the ninth. NSU threatened to end the game in the 11th inning by putting two runners in scoring position with one out, but Mallory Kinahan dug in and struck out the next Shark and then got the following batter to pop up to second to end the threat. 

Now in the 14th inning, Embry-Riddle started with back-to-back base knocks by Macchia and Sandridge. A sac bunt from Morgan advanced both runners with one out, and Latoria sent a bloop to shallow left that landed just inside the line, giving Macchia and Sandridge enough time to score and put the Blue and Gold up 5-3.

In total, ERAU collected a season-high 16 hits. Five different Eagles recorded multiple hits in the 14-inning affair led by Sandridge who went 4-for-7 with a run and two RBIs, just the 12th time an Eagle accumulated four or more hits in a game. Macchia notched three hits, like she did in every game of the series, while Morgan, Latoria and Ortiz-Munoz tallied two. Latoria also picked up a pair of RBIs.  

Sandridge's three doubles on the day moved her into a tie for second with 14 for the most in a single season in program history, just one away from matching the record. The junior also jumped to fifth on the program's all-time doubles list with 25. 

In the field, Ortiz-Munoz amassed 15 putouts, tied for the third most in a single game by a member of the Blue and Gold. 

Kinahan (13-6) stayed in the circle for all 14 innings and threw 216 pitches. She allowed three runs, none of which were earned, off of seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts. The sophomore pitched the second-most innings in a single game in the history of the program.

With the win, the Eagles improve to 11-7 all-time against the Sharks and are still undefeated in games lasting 13 or more innings (3-0).

After spending the last two series on the road, Embry-Riddle returns to Radiology Associates Field for six consecutive home games, starting with a 4 p.m. doubleheader against Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday, April 15.
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