CLERMONT, Fla. - On a gorgeous day for softball at Legends Way, Eastern Softball (4-0) used a stout offense, solid pitching, and strong defense to come away with two more victories. The Eagles held off a furious comeback to defeat Adrian, 7-6, before recording a 11-3, five-inning triumph over Regis College in their second contest - their second run-rule victory of the young spring season.
Eastern clicked on all cylinders offensively throughout the morning and afternoon, recording a combined 20 hits, five-extra base knocks, and 18 RBIs. Jania Long was Eastern's most efficient hitter, finishing 5-for-6 from the dish with a double, her first collegiate home run, and a team-leading six RBIs over the course of both contests. Susana Perez collected four hits in seven at-bats with a double and four runs batted in, while Kacie Noonan continued her strong start with four hits, a triple, and three RBIs. Sami Britton also tripled and drove in three runs, and Meghan Johnson went 3-for-6 with two runs scored.
Long (1-0) was also effective in the circle, picking up her first collegiate victory. In 4.1 innings of work, the Deptford, N.J. native allowed just one walk while striking out five. Britton (2-0) picked up the win over Regis, allowing just one earned run to go along with a pair of punchouts, while also recording her first save of the season against Adrian.
The Eagles grabbed the early advantage against the Bulldogs, as Perez's RBI double and Long's two-run blast to left field put the Eagles up 3-0. After a base-loaded walk in the second increased the advantage to 4-0, the Eagles tacked on three more runs in the fourth, which included RBI singles from Long and Johnson.
The Bulldogs came roaring back over the final three innings, trimming the lead to just one run in the seventh. However, Britton held down the fort in the final 1.2 innings, allowing just one hit and inducing the game-ending groundout.
Noonan got the Eagles on the board early against Regis, hitting a two-run, two-out triple to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead, before Perez made it 3-0 a few moments later with an infield single. Perez and Long each drove in a pair of runs in the fourth, and three more insurance runs in the fifth, including a two-run triple from Britton, helped the Eagles secure the run-rule victory.
After a day off Wednesday, the Eagles will be back in action in Leesburg for their next four games beginning on Thursday. Eastern will square off against Houghton at 10:30 am, before facing Warburg at 12:45 pm.
