ST. DAVIDS, Pa. - In its final non-conference home doubleheader on Wednesday, Eastern Softball took care of business with a pair of run-rule triumphs over the Gwynedd Mercy Griffins. The Eagles' offense scored eight late runs in a 8-0 win in game one, before using a seven-run third en route to a 13-4 win in the nightcap.
Emily Trzonkowski remained undefeated in her rookie season, while the Eastern offense exploded for 16 hits in game two.
In the first three and a half innings of game one, neither team was able to produce any offense. The Eagles were held without a hit in the first three innings, and Gwynedd had just two baserunners in the first four. The Eastern offense, however, found its groove in the bottom of the fourth.
Maura Yoos hit a one-out single to left field, before
Maryanna Nagle reached on an error.
Sydney Ostolaza drove in Eastern's first run on a sacrifice fly to center field, plating Yoos, before
Mackenzie Laub drove in Nagle with an RBI up the middle of the infield.
The Eagles went on to score six runs on 10 hits and a Gwynedd Mercy error in the bottom of the fifth. Yoos drove in two with a single up the middle, Laub plated two more on another Griffins' fielding miscue, first-year
Grace O'Connor hit an RBI infield single, and
Hailey Burke ended the game with a base hit to left field.
Trzonkowski (12-0) had another outstanding start, allowing just two hits with seven strikeouts on 57 pitches. Her ERA dropped to 1.79 for the season, and it was her eighth complete game performance. Yoos finished with two hits in three at-bats with two RBIs, while Laub drove in three runs.
The Griffins struck first in the second game on a two-run double from Hannah Cohen, but the Eagles responded with three runs in the bottom half of the first inning. After an
Ainsley O'Donnell double and a Yoos single to lead off the inning, Nagle roped a two-run single to right field to tie the game up at 2-2. Laub plated her fourth run of the evening two batters later to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead. Eastern added another run on a Griffins' error in the fourth.
Cohen drove in two more runs for the Griffins in the third, hitting a two-run home run over the right-center field wall to tie the contest at 4-4, but the Eagles quickly took back control with a seven-run bottom of the third.
Dakota Owen scored Laub on an RBI double,
Madisyn Saposnek plated Owen with a single through the left side, and O'Donnell and
Alyssa Binczak hit two-run singles up the middle of the infield to give the Eagles and 11-4 lead. It was the 99th career hit for Binczak.
The Eagles scored two more runs in the fourth on a
Bella Herrera double and an O'Donnell groundout, and
Bryn Clifford pitched a clean top of the fifth to secure Eastern's 21st victory.
Clifford (4-1) earned the win in relief, allowing just one hit in 2.1 innings of work. O'Donnell, Nagle, Binczak, and Saposnek combined eight hits and nine RBIs, while Yoos, Herrera, and Burke combined for six hits. Herrera hit a pair of doubles in the win, the first two of her collegiate career.
Eastern (21-5) returns home on Saturday for a critical MAC Commonwealth doubleheader with the league leading Messiah Falcons. First pitch is set for 1:00 pm.
