READING, Pa.– Eastern University Softball improved to 6-0 in the MAC Commonwealth with a decisive doubleheader sweep at Albright College. Danika Barthol and Bryn Clifford picked up the wins in the circle as the Eastern offense provided plenty of support with eight runs in each game.

Barthol went the distance and hit a home run in the opener. The sophomore standout struck out eight while allowing only three hits in the 8-0 win. The Eagles scored five times in the top of the sixth to set up the run-shortened victory.

The Eagles found their big inning after Maeve Colligan took a pitch of her arm and Maura Yoos singled to left. One run scored on an error and three more came home on back-to-back doubles from Mackenzie Laub and Emily Kurth. With two hits and two RBIs in the opener, Kurth now has 27 hits and 23 RBIs in her first 22 collegiate games. Nine of her hits are for extra bases. Laub's double was her fifth extra-base knock of the year. Jania Long singled to right to drive in Kurth for the important eighth run of the game.

Barthol improves to 7-2 with the win.

The Eagles had more trouble in the second game. After plating six in the first, the Eagles gave one back on an unearned run in the bottom of the inning. The Lions scored twice more in the second to push the Eagles into their bullpen. Bryn Clifford came on with a runner on and one out in the second. She escaped the jam with a fly ball and a ground out and pitched into the seventh inning to pick up the win.

Clifford pitched with precision and allowed only a single bunt hit until the seventh where she got in trouble with three ground-ball singles. Annaleise McCubbin retired the final two batters of the game to earn the save. The four Eastern pitchers walked only one batter in 15 innings. Clifford has now pitched 24.2 innings this year without walking a batter or hitting a batter.

Clifford helped herself with an RBI in the fourth. The single up the middle was the second hit and first RBI of her career. That two-out run came after Alyssa Binczak hit a lead-off homer to start the inning. In the two games, Binczak had three hits and scored three times.

The six-run first came after Ainsley O'Donnell walked to lead off the game. Binczak tried to move her over but beat the throw for a bunt single. After Kurth walked to load the bases, Tori Hook knocked in two with a single up the middle. Hook now has 94 RBis for her career.

Long then singled to left, but a good throw from the outfield gunned down Kurth at the plate to hold the lead to 2-0 with two outs. After Kacie Noonan walked, Dakota Owen drove a ball through the middle to score Long and Hook. Noonan came home a on a bunt single from Yoos, and Owen scampered home on a wild pitch to stretch the Eastern lead to six. Yoos had five hits in the two games, and her average is up to .424 on the year. 

The Eagles (17-5, 6-0) remained tied atop the league with Messiah. The Falcons grabbed a pair of run-shortened wins over Stevenson this afternoon. Eastern and Messiah are set to play on Thursday April 17.

The Eagles will host a non-league twin bill against Muhlenberg on Thursday before hosting Alvernia on the Saturday. Alvernia swept Widener this afternoon.