WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Eastern Softball began its 2025 season on Sunday with a pair of quality wins in the Sunshine State. The Eagles (2-0) rode eight hits and strong pitching from Jania Long and Bryn Clifford to a 4-1 win over Wentworth Institute of Technology in game one. In game two, Danika Barthol pitched a complete game in her first start of the season and three early runs from the offense proved to be enough in a 3-2 victory. 

Eastern's pitching staff was excellent throughout the afternoon and evening on Sunday. In 14 innings, Long, Clifford, and Barthol combined for 15 strikeouts and allowed just two earned runs. 

After Wentworth's (0-1) first batter reached on an error to begin Eastern's first contest, Long recorded a strikeout and induced a groundout and popout to escape the inning unscathed. The Eagles' offense went right to work in the home half of the inning. Ainsley O'Donnell worked a leadoff walk, and Alyssa Binczak followed with a single to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Two batters later, Tori Hook hit a two-run single to center field to put the Eagles ahead 2-0. 

Wentworth cut the Eastern lead in half in the top of the third. Taking advantage of a pair of Eastern errors, Wentworth pushed one run across on an RBI groundout. Long limited the damage to just one run, ending the Leopards' threat with a strikeout. 

Armed with the momentum, the Eagles score two more runs in the bottom of the third to increase their advantage to three. Back-to-back-to-back singles from Sydney Ostolaza, Hook, and Mackenzie Laub loaded the bases, and despite a double play a few minutes later, both Ostolaza and pinch runner Kellie O'Brien crossed home plate on the play to put the Eagles ahead 4-1.

Long pitched a clean fourth frame, before being replaced by Clifford with one out in the top of the fifth after a Wentworth triple. Clifford went on to record two straight outs on a flyout and a groundout to keep the Eagles' lead intact. 

Despite two more errors in the sixth, Clifford escaped the jam with three straight outs, including a strikeout. In the seventh, the New Ringgold, Pa. native worked around a leadoff single to induce two flyouts, and Laub threw out a potential Wentworth run at home to secure the win for Eastern. 

Hook and Laub each finished with a pair of hits. O'Donnell, Laub, Binczak, Ostolaza, and first-year shortstop Maura Yoos recorded one knock apiece. Long (1-0) earned the win, striking out three and allowing just one unearned run. 

Coming off one of the finest seasons in program history, Barthol took the circle for the Eagles in game two. It was the Bulldogs, however, that struck first in game two, scoring on an RBI groundout to take a 1-0 lead after the first inning of play. 

The Eagles answered right back with a run of their own in the top of the second. Maeve Colligan and Laub led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and first-year designated player Emily Kurth recorded her first collegiate RBI with a single up the middle of the infield, tying the contest at 1-1. 

Barthol went to work over the next two innings. The sophomore from Emmaus struck out the side in the frame, and worked around an error in the third with two more strikeouts to keep the Bulldogs' (1-1) offense in check. 

Eastern scored their final two runs of the day in the fourth inning, taking a lead it would not relinquish. Ostolaza led off the frame with a double to left field, Sophie Rollins followed with a single, and O'Donnell drove in the first run of her sophomore season with a single to left field. Binczak capped off the scoring with an RBI single to center field, her first of the season, to put Eastern ahead 3-1. 

Barthol escaped a big jam in the fourth with Adrian threatening. After the Bulldogs loaded the bases, Barthol recorded another strikeout and induced a popout to Binczak to keep the Eagles' ahead by two. 

With the Eagles still leading 3-1, the Bulldogs made their last push in the top of the seventh inning. A two-out triple and an ensuing RBI groundout cut the Eastern advantage to 3-2, but Barthol's 11th strikeout of the night ended the Adrian rally and secured Eastern's second win of the season. 

In a full seven innings of work, Barthol recorded 11 strikeouts and just two walks, while inducing seven flyout and three groundouts. Binczak, Colligan, and Laub combined for six of Eastern's 11 hits in the victory.

Eastern will continue its Spring Break tomorrow with two more afternoon games. The Eagles will face Gustavus Adolphus College at 11:15 am followed by Allegheny College at 2:00 pm.