ASTON, Pa. — The bats did a lot of work as Eastern University Softball blasted its way to a pair of run-shortened wins at Neumann University. The Eagles pounded out 36 hits with YY homers and MM Doubles on the way to a a 12-2 win in the opener and a 21-2 win in the nightcap. Maeve Colligan  went 4-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBIs in the second game, and Tori Hook drilled homers in both games and hit safely in her first seven plate appearances.

In the opener, the Eagles (21-5) showed the host Knights a taste of what was to come with a four-run first inning. Ainsley O'Donnell singled to lead off the inning and, after Mackenzie Laub singled, came home on an Emily Kurth single. Kurth, Eastern's rookie Cather had three RBIs in game one before taking the second game off. Hook and Barthol each hit Rbi singles before Jania Long drove in the fourth run of the game with a sacrifice fly.

While the bats were working, Barthol dominated in the circle early. The sophomore standouts struck out the first seven Knights she saw, and allowed only four hits and a pair of runs in picking up her ninth win of the year.

Who the Eagles went down in order in the top of the second, it was the only inning all afternoon without a run. After an unearned run in the third, the Eagles picked up runs on RBI doubles from Kurth and Hook in the fourth.

Maura Yoos scored on an O'Donnell double in the fifth to stretch the Eastern lead to 9-2. The Eagles tacked on three more in the top of the sixth to stretch the lead past the eight-run margin. Hook delivered the big blow of the inning with her first home run of the day.

The Eagles had 15 hits and walked three times to put a lot of strain on the Neumann pitching staff in the opener.

That duress took its toll in the nightcap, After Colligan drove in a run in the first with a single, Hook drove home three with her fifth homer of the year. She finished the day with seven hits and seven runs batted in with two homers and two doubles. It is the second doubleheader of the year where the senior standout has been a triple short of the cycle in each game.

For the Neumann pitchers, things went from bad to worse in the second inning. After Ostolaza and Yoos singled, and O'Donnell walked, Alyssa Binczak and Mackenzie Laub walked and got hit by a pitch to each drive in a run. Colligan unloaded the bases with a monster blast to left for a grand slam.

The Eagles tacked on four more in the third and six more in the fourth to hit 20 for the first time this year. Colligan doubled in the third and hit one out to center in the fourth.

The Knights (6-24) plated two runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth to end Long's shutout big. Eastern's senior pitcher struck out two but did not walk a batter on the way to her 10th win of the year. That total matches her career-best number set in 2023. She is currently second on Eastern's career wins list.

The Eastern program has eight players who will be finished with college softball at the end of the year. All eight of those players were on the field for the bottom of the the third through the end of the game. Valentina Marino went 2-for-2 with a double, Hailey Krichten walked and scored a run and Regina Bangcoro went 1-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored. Sophie Rollins had a hit and a run scored and Kacie Noonan drove in two. 

Colligan's seven RBI day is the most for an Eagle since Jaclyn Gangemi hit the same number with a 3-for-3 outing in a 13-2 win over PBU in March of 2009. Karlee Kerchersky (2015) and Janelle Fair (2011) each had six-RBI days.

The Eagles are slated to return to MAC Commonwealth action with a home doubleheader against Hood on Saturday.