DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle softball team notched wins in both its games at the Eagle Classic on Saturday. The Eagles (2-1) avenged Friday's loss to Georgia Southwestern State (1-3) with a 5-2 win over the Hurricanes and run-ruled No. 23 Columbus State 9-0 (1-2) in the nightcap to improve to 2-1 on the year.
Kelsey Kressler led the Eagles going 3-for-5 with three RBI and two doubles, while
Shelby Morse and
Ava Domenici each notched their first wins of the season.
The Eagles are scheduled to close out the Eagle Classic at 3 p.m. on Sunday against Chadron State.
Embry-Riddle 5, Georgia Southwestern 2
In contrast to Friday's loss to the Hurricanes, the Eagles struck first as
Sydney Linn singled up the middle and came around to score on a
Karina Ortiz-Munoz triple down the right field line in the bottom of the second. The Eagles followed that score with solid defense in the third as Serenity Jaechinen dove to her left to rob Ashlyn Rogers of a line drive, then threw out the runner at first for an inning-ending double play.
GSW scored twice in the top of the fourth, but a
Delaney Morgan single up the middle scored
Parker Ray from second to tie the score at 2-2.
The Eagles broke the game open with a three-hit, three-run fifth. Jaenichen drew a walk to lead off the inning, moved up on a
Kerry O'Sullivan single and crossed the plate on a
Emma Wood double. After a ground out scored O'Sullivan, Morgan doubled home Wood to give the Blue and Gold a 5-2 lead.
A walk and a double put two runners in scoring position for the Hurricanes with one out in the seventh, but
Mallory Kinahan induced a ground out and a pop up to end the game.
Morse went 5.2 innings, scattering five hits and surrendering two earned runs to pick up her first win of the season.
Embry-Riddle 9, No. 23 Columbus State 0
In their first win against a ranked opponent this season, the Eagles scored in every inning except the first to complete the Saturday sweep.
The second inning featured a four-spot for ERAU, beginning with singles by Kressler and Jaenichen. O'Sullivan's single to right field allowed Kressler to score and Wood's double drove in
Mia Macchia and O'Sullivan to give the Eagles a 4-0 lead.
Katriana Bain started a two-out rally with a single to left center in the third. Kressler's second hit of the game was a double down the left field line that scored Bain, and Jaenichen's second single of the game sent Kressler across to make it 6-0.
After Domenici and the ERAU defense held the Cougars scoreless in the top of the fourth, the Eagles added another crooked number to the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning. The Eagles took advantage of Cougar miscues to plate two runs and Kressler's double to center and the third run of the inning to increase the Eagle lead to 9-0.
Columbus State had a baserunner in the top of the fifth, but once again, Jaenechin's glove took away any chance of a Cougar rally as she snagged another line drive to end the game.
Domenici went the distance in game two striking out two and allowing four hits and two walks.
