BETHLEHEM— Down four runs with only five outs left, Eastern University Softball (30-10) scored twice in the top of the sixth and two more runs in the top of the seventh to rally to a 6-4 win over Worcester State and claim a spot in tomorrow morning's second elimination game. Tori Hook delivered three RBIs to move into the top spot on Eastern's single-season RBI list, and Maura Yoos came through with a two-out 2-RBI single in the top of the eighth to put the Eagles up. Jania Long pitched the final 3.1 innings to pick up the win.

The Eagles needed to rally to claim the first NCAA Tournament win in program history. Worcester State came into today's game with excellent batting averages but without a lot of power. The Lancers (27-14) had hit only five home runs all year. Every game, however, is new, and Bella Gasbarro got just enough of a Danika Barthol offering to clear the left field fence for a lead-off home run in the bottom of the second.

The Eagles put single runners on in three of the first four innings, but were unable to build a rally.

Sydney Ostolaza smashed a single through the left side to start the second, Sophie Rollins hit a low liner to center that looked like another hit until Worcester center fielder Emma Lapoint slid underneath the ball to catch it off the top of the grass. That grab turned out to be Lapoint's second-best play of the inning. After a Maeve Colligan walk and a nice catch by the Worcester State shortstop on flare down the line in left, Yoos slashed a ball deep into the gap in left center. Lapoint dove and somehow held the ball as her somersaulted to a stop.

After Barthol retired the first two Lancers n the bottom of the inning, Worcester State started a rally with a double to the fence in center. They doubled their lead on a flare to center and added two more on an error and a wild pitch.

Mackenzie Laub started the rally with a solid single and came home to score on ringing double from Hook. With that RBI, Hook moved in front of Eastern Hall of Honor Inductee Janelle Fair on the Eastern single-season RBI list. With her three RBI's today, Hook has 113 career RBIs and sits two behind Ashley Keyser, another Hall of Honor inductee, on the career list.

Long delivered then ripped a single to center to bring home pinch runner Kellie O'Brien.

Even with the two run rally, the Eagles still needed more. Long did another big job to work around a one-out single in the bottom of the sixth to keep the Eagles within two.

O'Donnell doubled to start the seventh. Yoos then hit into another hard-luck out on line-drive caught by a sliding outfielder. Laub walked to put the tying run on and the two runners each moved up a base on a ground out to the right side by Emily Kurth.

Down to their final out, the Eagles had Hook at the plate. After working the count, she pulled a low liner into left center. Both Worcester outfielders slid for the ball, and by the time it squirted free Laub was halfway between home and third.

Tied after six and a half, the Eagles still needed to work a scoreless seventh. Long worked around a pair of infield hits to bring the Eagles back up to the plate.

After Ostolaza and Rollins each flied out. Kacie Noonan came through with a pinch-hit single over the shortstop's head. Noonan then moved to third on an O'Donnell single to right. O'Donnell's second hit of the afternoon set the table for Yoos to deliver.

The rookie shortstop worked the count and spoiled several tough pitches before poking a ground ball down the left field line. Her team-best 48th hit of the year drove in two and gave the Eagles their first lead of the day.

Long worked around a one-out walk in the bottom of the eighth to secure the win.

"This group showed real resiliency today," Associate Head Coach Gerry Mauro said after the game. "They [Worcester State] are well coached, and they came to play today.  They made some great plays in the outfield and we just had to stay after it in every at bat. It was great to see Tori have the chance to come up big."

Heavy weather in the area moved game times back, so the second elimination game of the tournament will be at 11 am tomorrow. The Eastern hitters will get a chance to solve the pitchers from Williams with a berth in the Regional Championship game on the line. Williams lost 1-0 to Moravian in the first game of the afternoon.