ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– It took a while, but Eastern University softball picked up a 6-0 win to complete their season-opening series against Lebanon Valley College. The Eagles (6-6) scored three times in the sixth and three times in the seventh to back up a solid pitching performance from senior right-hander Lexi Evelyn. Grace Gonzalez finished with a home run and five RBI's.

Evelyn allowed only two hits from the visiting Dutchmen, but the game remained in question as the Eagles failed to capitalize on a two-out rally in the third and were scoreless going to the top of the sixth.

The game today was a replay of the game from March 13, where teh Eagles scored four times in the top of the ninth to grab a 9-5 lead before darkness wiped out the potential for a result. Because the original game was at Lebanon Valley, the Eagles were again batting first.  

Sami Britton had a huge RBI-double wiped out by darkness in the earlier game. The junior infielder today set the table. She led off each of the final two innings with hits and finished 3-for-4. After Britton led off the sixth, Emily Loomis singled through the middle. Susana Perez singled to short to load the bases. Gonzalez drove in two with a single, and the Eagles saw the lead grow when Evelyn got hit by a pitch with the bases full. 

The first two LVC hitters reached in the bottom of the inning, but Evelyn escaped the jam with two pop-ups and a ground out.

"It was not Lexi's sharpest day in terms of stuff." Head Coach Terri Adams said after the game, "but she did a good job making adjustments in-game and was able to pitch from ahead most of the day." Evelyn only gave up two singles and did not walk a hitter.

Britton again led off the seventh with a single, but she was caught stealing and the rally needed to restart with a Loomis walk. After Susana Perez singled to put two on, LVC made a pitching change. Gonzalez saw something whe liked and hit it to the woods beyond the left-field fence. Her second homer of the year is the third of her career. It is her second five-RBI day in her career.

"We had a game plan for attacking their pitching," Adams said. "We made some outs early and we lost our focus on what we were supposed to be doing. Once we got our approaches back on track and followed the game-plan, we were able to get the offense rolling. Our defense was solid and Lexi pitched well to allow us to stay in the game until that happened."

The Eagles are at Widener on Friday and will host the Pride, on Saturday.