ASTON, Pa.– Eastern University Softball picked up a hard-fought 3-1 win in the opening game to earn a split at Neumann University on Tuesday. The Eagles dropped the nightcap in a tight 7-4 game that featured a downpour during the third inning.
How It Happened:
Lexi Evelyn started the opener and kept the Knights (18-9) off balance. She struck out six in her three innings of work.
When the Eagles struck for three runs in the top of the fourth,
Sami Britton came on to finish the game. Britton scattered four hits over her four innings of work to pick up her second win of the year. Three of those hits came in a the seventh inning. Britton worked out of the bases-loaded with nobody out jam with a ground ball out and two short fly balls. The Knights, who average nearly seven runs a game, scored plated their only run on a fielder's choice.
The Eagles used small ball to get their runs. After
Emily Loomis singled,
Sabrina Thomas bunted to move her to second. Then
Rebecca Howard bunted for a hit to put runners on the corners. Evelyn then put down a squeeze bunt that turned into a run and another first and third chance.
Taylor Crown then singled up the middle to drive in Howard. After
Catelynn Erickson singled to right center to load the bases,
Leah Lozzi brought in the important insurance run with a fly ball to left. The Eagles scored the three runs on four hits in the inning.
Britton faced the minimum in the fourth and fifth and allowed a single in the sixth before working out of trouble to collect the win.
After falling behind 3-0 in the second game, The Eagles scratched back for two runs in the third inning. After Erickson walked, Sam Alberston ripped a triple down the right field line to drive her in from second. Albertson scored on a squeeze bunt from Loomis.
The Knights found their big inning as the rain started coming down. They scored four runs on three hits in the bottom of the third.
Sabrina Thomas had a two RBI single in the fifth to cut into the Neumann lead. The Eagles put two runners on in both the final two innings. Howard smacked a line-drive to center with two on to end the game.
Coach Birchmeier Says:
We played two really good games. We won game one with small ball. We were sacrificing ourselves to put our teammates in better positions to score. We got bunts down when it mattered and we were smart on the base paths. I'm so proud of these girls and how hard they work and the fact that they battled back through the rain."
Up Next:
The Eagles (5-21) are at Wesley College for a doubleheader on Thursday.
