SALISBURY, Md.– In the program's first ever NCAA Tournament game, Eastern University Softball pushed the No. 11 Randolph-Macon to extra innings, but fell 3-1.
Jania Long went 4-for-4 with a home run, but the Eagles were unable to generate a game-winning run, and the Yellow Jackets scored two runs in the tenth on a home run.
Though both starters gave up home runs early, the game quickly turned into a pitcher's duel. Randolph-Macon first baseman Rilee Baughan poked an opposite field shot over the left-field fence with two outs in the top of the first inning. Long pulled a 1-2 pitch over the same spot on the fence with two outs in the bottom of the second.
Eastern starter
Danika Barthol entered the game second in the country in WHIP, but the first-year standout had to work around base-runners in each of the final nine innings. Though the Yellow Jackets were able to move runners into scoring position in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, but each time Barthol found a way out.
Mackenzie Laub made a nice running catch in the third, Barthol worked around a runner in scoring position with only one out with a strike out and a pop-up in the fourth.
Ainsley O'Donnell made a great running catch at the fence in the first inning, but the play she did not make in the sixth kept the score tied and allowed the Eagles to extend the game. With a runner on third with one out after Baughan's first double of the game, O'Donnell tracked a long fly ball into the corner. Knowing the runner would be able to tag and score, the first year outfielder stopped at the foul line and let the ball drop. Barthol used the extra life to strike out the final two batters of the frame to keep the game tied.
The Yellow Jackets finally broke through with two outs in the tenth. After a pair of fly ball outs, Baughan hit a ball off the top of the fence for a double. The ball bounce back into play, but the reprieve was short-lived as RMC catcher Kayla Davis hit a shot over the fence in left for what turned out to be the game-winner.
The Eagles had a pair of runners on in the bottom of the ninth and brought the tying runner to the plate in the tenth after O'Donnell tripled to right-center, but a hard ground ball to the right side by
Alyssa Binczak turned into the final out of the game.
Barthol (16-3) struck out nine in the game. RMC starter Gracie Ellis (19-1) struck out 13 Eastern hitters to earn the win.
The Eagles (30-7) will play the Manhattanville College Valiants in the first elimination game tomorrow at 1:30. Eastern last played their former MAC Freedom foes in 2019, Manhattanville's final year in the MAC. Manhattanville dropped the opening game of the Regional to the host Salisbury University Sea Gulls in five innings. RMC will play Salisbury at 11:00 am tomorrow. The winner of the game between Eastern and Manhattanville will play the loser of the RMC vs. Salisbury game in a second elimination game at 4:00 PM.
