ST. DAVIDS, Pa.- Eastern University Softball put together big innings to start the day and finish the day, but a dry spell in the middle meant that the Eagles would have to settle for a split with Freedom rival Wilkes University. The Eagles used a seven-run first to take the opener 7-5 and fell 6-5 in the nightcap.

The cold weather at the outset did little to deter the two offenses early as the visiting Colonels scored three times in the top of the first in game one. Eastern starter Kristine Rosko recovered nicely after taking a line-drive off her thigh from the fourth batter of the inning. The Eastern offense showed great promise in the bottom of the frame as they sent 13 batters to the plate and scored seven times. Louise Fox delivered the big blow of the inning with a double down the left field line. 

After collecting seven hits in the first inning, and forcing Wilkes starter Lindsay Behrenshausen to throw nearly seventy pitches before they made their second out, the Easern offense began to sputter. They would record only two more hits and could not build on the lead.

The Colonels (2-10, 2-2), meanwhile, chipped away with a single tally off Rosko in the fifth and an unearned run against Janelle Fair in the sixth. Fair closed out the game to earn her second save of the year. 

Game two saw the Eagles continue to struggle against Behrenshausen. With four hits through six innings, the Eagles had runners on but were unable to get the final hit to score runs. The Colonels , on the other hand, took advantage of their chances as they plated three in the second and three more in the fourth after an error gave their offense new life. Alysha Bixler delivered the big blow with a line drive that cleared the center field fence for her second homer of the year.

Fair entered in relief in the sixth, and the sophomore worked out of a bases-loaded jam with a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning, but the Eagles were unable to convert that momentum into any runs int he bottom of the sixth.

The seventh inning rally fell short as the home side was unable to bring Megan Polulak home after the first-year infielder hit a one-out double to center. The Eagles finished the game with five runs on nine hits.

The Eagles (9-5, 1-3 Freedom) will return to action on Wednesday with a home doubleheader against Philadelphia Biblical University.