EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. – Eastern Softball split with host Wilkes on Saturday afternoon losing the first game 1-0 and then claiming a resounding 10-2 victory in the second. After being shutout in the first game, the Eagles offense exploded in the second to give Eastern a much-needed win.

"We played some great softball today," said Head Coach Claire Emplit. "The first game was really tough, but I am so proud of the way the girls came back and performed in the second the game."

In game one of the doubleheader, Haleigh Williams pitched an outstanding game for Eastern (4-11) but ended up taking the loss after a Colonels walk off in the bottom of the seventh. The Eagles threatened in the top of the fifth inning when Taylor Crown led off the inning with a single. Back-to-back singles by Deanna Laughman and Ashton Tomlinson loaded the bases for Kasey Williams. However, Nicole Cumbo got Kasey Williams to ground out to end the threat and inning.

Wilkes (5-4) finally broke the deadlock in the bottom of seventh and escaped with the victory. A two-out double gave the Colonels a base runner in scoring position and an opportunity for Caitlin Brown to be a hero. Brown delivered a walk-off single plating the winning run for Wilkes in game one.

"That's an unfortunate way to lose, but it happens," said Emplit. "We had some opportunities, and we have to take advantage of them when we get them."

Haleigh Williams finished the game going six and two-thirds innings, allowing five hits, one run while striking out two.

In game two, however, the Eastern bats came to life against the Colonels pitching staff. Eastern scored ten runs winning the game in five innings.

The Eagles jumped out to an early 2-0 in the top of the first inning. Laughman walked and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. K. Williams then doubled to plate the opening run of the game and give Eastern the 1-0 advantage. K. Williams then scored two batters later after advancing to third base on an error, she scored on a wild pitch to stretch the lead to 2-0.

A Kelsey Clever double in the second inning scored Morgan Burke stretching the lead to 3-0. Wilkes added a run in the bottom half of the third inning to make it a 3-1 game. The game remained a two-run Eastern lead until the top of the fifth inning.

Tomlinson led off the inning with a single and then stole second to give the Eagles a runner in scoring position. Laughman earned a walk the very next at-bat and K. Williams reached on an error by third to load the bases for H. Williams. H. Williams hit into a fielder's choice plating Tomlinson to extend the lead to 4-1. Alyssa Welsh doubled the very next at-bat to stretch the lead to 6-1 before Taylor Crown singled two batters later scoring H. Williams to make it 7-1. A Leah Lozzi two-RBI double followed by a steal by Tomlinson, which scored Lozzi plated the final three runs of the inning to make it 10-1.

Wilkes tacked on one run in the bottom half of the inning but with the score at 10-2 when the inning ended the eight run rule became effective, and the game was called giving Eastern the victory.

Tomlinson finished the game going 3-4 and scoring a run while Welsh went 2-3 with two RBI's and scored a run. Burke picked up the win going three innings surrendering only two hits and striking out one.

"This may have been our best game all season," concluded Emplit. "The way the girls came back and just played after losing such a tough first game was really great to see. We are starting to come together as a team, and that is something that as a coach I am really excited to see."

Eastern hosts Immaculata on March 23rd starting at 3 pm.