ST. DAVIDS, Pa.—Eastern University Softball edged the visiting York College Spartans in both games of Friday afternoon's doubleheader, 4-3 and 5-3.
The Eagles improved to 13-17 overall this season with the non-conference win. The Spartans' season comes to an end with a 21-19 overall mark.
Eastern posted 15 hits across the doubleheader while York was just behind with 14. Erica Pyla-Gibson batted 4-for-5 in the leadoff spot in Eastern's lineup to up her season batting average to .508. Ashton Tomlinson batted 3-for-7 on the day behind Pyla-Gibson in the order. Tomlinson stretched her hitting streak to 24 games.
Senior Emily Houck launched a home run in game one, her second this season, and Keri Hupp smacked a home run to center field in game two, her second of the year as well.
Eastern won game one in walk-off fashion. With the game deadlocked at 3-3, Deanna Laughman led off the seventh inning with a double to right field. Pyla-Gibson bunted her over to third with a sacrifice. Tomlinson hit a grounder to first and the first baseman tried to throw out the swift Laughman at the plate, but she beat the tag and gave Eastern the winning run.
The run was the Eagles' first since the opening frame when Houck blasted a three-run home run.
Alyssa Welsh earned the win, pitching all seven innings, walking three three and striking out one. York was scoreless through the first five innings, but tagged Welsh with a two-RBI homer in the sixth and then a solo home run in the seventh.
The Eagles had to play from behind in game two as York led 3-0 midway through the third. Eastern scored its first run in the bottom of the third. Laughman led off with a triple and scored on a groundout off the bat of Kasey Williams.
Eastern picked up two with two outs in the next inning. Pyla-Gibson batted in Hupp with a single to right, and then Tomlinson beat out an infield single that allowed Kelsey Clever to score, tying the game at 3-3.
Hupp smacked a solo home run to center field with two outs in the fifth. In the sixth, Pyla-Gibson added another insurance run on an RBI-double to center to score Jackie DiGiacomo.
Kristen Waters, who relieved starter Haleigh Williams for the final three innings, collected the win. Waters only allowed two hits and induced seven ground outs.
Eastern wraps up Freedom Conference play on Saturday at 1 p.m.
