MELBOURNE, Fla. - A trio of long balls helped the Embry-Riddle softball team split a doubleheader with Florida Tech on Thursday. It was just the fourth time in program history the Blue and Gold (21-15, 4-10 Sunshine State Conference) sent three balls over the fence in a single game en route to a 5-3 game-one win before falling 2-0 in game two to a walk-off homer.


GAME 1 | Embry-Riddle - 5, Florida Tech - 3

A walk by Raissa Bianco and a single from Kerry O'Sullivan in the first placed the first two batters on base, setting up Emma Wood for a three-run moonshot. Then in the second, Lauren Latoria led off with a solo blast to make it a 4-0 contest. 

Starting pitcher Shelby Morse, along with the rest of the Eagle defense, did well to hold Florida Tech (20-16, 9-11 SSC) to just one hit over the first three innings. The Panthers managed to get the leadoff batter on base in the fourth, but the Eagles induced a 6-4-3 double play with O'Sullivan, Bianco, and Karina Ortiz-Munoz. 

Another leadoff homer in the fifth inning pushed the Eagles ahead 5-0, this time by Delaney Morgan. 

Florida Tech fought back in the bottom of the seventh on a last-gasp effort. An error, single, and a walk loaded the bases with no outs. However, reliever Ava Domenici got the next two batters to fly out and strikeout to put two outs on the scoreboard. A walk and a two-RBI single made it a 5-3 contest with the winning run now at the plate. Thankfully, Domenici fielded a ground ball for the final out to earn Embry-Riddle a win.

Six different Eagles notched a hit, led by a 2-for-3 effort with a run and three RBIs from Wood and a 2-for-3 mark from Latoria, who also recorded a run and an RBI. It was Latoria's 56th career RBI, which is tied for the ninth most by any Eagle. The graduate student also tied for the eighth-most games started with 116.

Additionally, Morgan's fifth home run of her career is ninth all-time. 

Morse (W, 8-6) received the win after allowing three unearned runs with three punchouts over six innings. Domenici earned her second save of the season after an inning of work. 

Bianco tallied her 115th career assist in the field, moving her into sole possession of ninth on the all-time list. 


GAME 2 | Florida Tech - 2, Embry-Riddle - 0

Game two was an old-fashioned pitchers' duel. For six innings, the two teams could only combine for three hits with no runs scored. Starting pitcher Mallory Kinahan was slicing through the Florida Tech lineup with ease. The junior held the home team to three hits through the sixth inning and rang up two batters. 

A single and a hit batter in the top of the fourth gave the Panthers the first scoring threat of the game, but the opportunity was washed away as Kelsey Kressler fielded a ground ball, stepped on third, and fired to Ortiz-Munoz for a 5-3 twin killing. 

Then in the sixth, O'Sullivan kept the score tied when she made an outstanding catch at short to rob Florida Tech of a hit with a runner in scoring position.

Embry-Riddle looked poised to try and break the stalemate in the seventh when Morgan started the frame with a single to center. She advanced all the way to third base but was left stranded. 

Soon after, the Panthers used a walk-off home run that was aided by a powerful gust to left field to even the series. 

Morgan recorded the Eagles' only hit of the game. In the circle, Kinahan (L, 7-6) gave up only two runs on four hits with two strikeouts. 

Ortiz-Munoz participated in her 129th game as an Eagle, the eighth-most all time.

The rubber match is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m.