ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Eastern University Softball pitched well, played good defense, and scored just enough runs to sweep the visiting DeSales University Bulldogs in a MAC Freedom doubleheader.

Eastern scored an unearned run in each of the first two innings of game one and Meagan Quinn made the lead stand. The junior threw her best outing of the year to keep the Bulldogs off-balance throughout. She struck out three and did not walk a batter while pitching to contact throughout the game.

The Eastern defense was very solid behind behind Quinn with Taylor Corwn and Alyssa Bolger both making several good plays on the left side of the infield. The Bulldogs put just one runner in scoring position through the first six innings. Quinn retired the first two hitters in the seventh before Leann Panconi doubled to center. She scored on a single to left before Quinn retired the final hitter on a pop-up.

The Bulldogs scratched out only four hits in game one. The Eagles had only three singles in the game, and one of them actually went for an out as Crown scorched a line drive into the hole that hit Kelsey Clever between the bases.

Melissa Irick started the second game for the Eagles and picked up right where Quinn left off. DeSales did not get a hit off the sophomore until the fourth inning. The Bulldogs picked up two of their four hits in the game in the final inning.

The Eagles collected all the runs they would need in a three-run third. Clever led off the inning with a single to right field. Jess Snader moved her to second with a bunt, but a Rebecca Howard fly out meant that the Eastern bats were going to have to come through with two outs. Crown slashed a single to right and Clever did not hesitate rounding third.

Grace Gonzalez lifted a fly ball to right field that went over the back peddling right fielder for a double. Crown beat the throw to the plate for a two-run lead. Alexandra Strausser continued the RBI string with a solid single to left to drive in Gonzalez. It was Strausser's first collegiate hit.

That lead would prove to be more than enough for Irick. She did not strike out a batter, btu only walked one and was the beneficiary of good plays all the way around the diamond.

"We played really good defense today," Head Coach Claire Emplit said after the game. "Our pitchers did not need to get more than three outs in an inning, we made all the routine plays and some pretty spectacular plays. Kelsey [Clever] made a nice diving grab, each of our outfielders made nice catches on the run and Taylor's bare-handed play to end it was pretty great too."

Irick won her battles as well. With runners on first and third with one out in the seventh, she faced DeSales catcher Sunny Greenberg in a battle that had all the available game balls unavailable for play. Greenberg fouled pitches back into the pond, she pulled balls foul into the creek, and sliced a couple into the woods. Fianally, after bringing a new ball into play, Irick got the DeSales catcher to flip a pop-up to short right field. Jess Snader made the catch and rather than risking a throw to the plate kept the runner at first.

The Eagles (5-21, 2-8 MAC Freedom) will travel to Wesley College on Tuesday.