ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Eastern University Softball earned an important MAC Commonwealth series win with a pair of tight victories over the visiting Widener University Pride.
Lexi Evelyn threw a one-hit shutout in a 1-0 win in the opener and delivered a two-out two-RBI walk-off double in the seventh in a 2-1 win in the nightcap.
The doubleheader sweep lifts the Eagles to 9-7 on the year and into the top half of the league standings with eight league games remaining.
The Eagles gave up an unearned run in the first inning of the nightcap, but
Sami Britton and
Lauren Lofland worked around several jams to keep the Pride from tacking on to the lead. First Year center fielder
Kelci Cost threw out a pair of base-runners trying to score from second on singles. She made the big throws to end the first and fifth innings.
After the first two Eastern batters struck out to start the seventh, the Eagles were down to their final out. Cost singled down the right field line and
Jena Imperiale singled to center to keep the rally going. Evelyn slashed an opposite field double to the left field corner to start the runners. The speedy Cost scored easily, but Imperiale took a tumble halfway between third and home. The sophomore catcher battled to her feet and flung herself across plate for the winning run.
"I feel like I could have cost us that game," Head Coach Teri Adams said after the game. "I probably needed to get a pinch-runner in there, but she made it home."
The walk-off win was the first for Eastern softball since they did it twice in 2015.
Evelyn was dominant in the circle in the opener. The senior right-hander carried a no-hitter into the seventh. She only walked one batter and struck out four.
Even so, the Eagles were unable to pull away and could only muster a single run in the game.
Sami Britton drove in
Kelci Cost with a double in the third inning.
The Pride finally picked up their first hit of the opener with a soft single to center to lead off the sixth, but Evelyn retired the next two batters and
Susana Perez threw out a would-be base-stealer to end the inning. Evelyn retired the final three hitters to pick up her fifth win of the year and fourth in her last four starts. She has allowed only one run in her last three starts.
The Eagles will host Messiah College on Wednesday.
