Softball Takes Two Straight Wins to Close out Tucson Invitational

TUCSON, Ariz. – On the final day of its appearance at the Tucson Invitational the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's (Ariz.) softball team dropped its first game of the day but saw its offense spring to life with a combined 20 runs over the final two to finish its five games at the event with a pair of wins. The Eagles started the day with a 3-1 loss to Doane but came back to take 9-0 and 11-3 victories over Viterbo and Valley City State. 

Game 1

In what was a pitchers dual over the first four innings, Doane broke through in the fifth for a pair of runs. The Tigers led off with a walk before an error put runners first and third with two away. Doane then got a bases clearing triple, its first hit of the game, to make it 2-0. Embry-Riddle got one back in the bottom half of the inning when senior Jenna Sumpter (Ahwatukee, Ariz.) led off with a single and eventually came around to score on a two-out double off the bat of freshman Leah Salas (Sahuarita, Ariz.). That was all the damage the Eagles could do in the contest, however, as the Tigers added an insurance run in the sixth and then held off ERAU in the seventh when the Eagles put a pair on but were unable to score.

Game 2

Embry-Riddle wasted no time in the second contest, plating three in the first inning against Viterbo. A single and an error put two Eagles on, and with one away senior Kate Delaney (Fort Collins, Colo.) and sophomore Lily Anderson (Flagstaff, Ariz.) knocked RBI singles. The Eagles added the third run when Delaney scored on a run down play.

In the fourth EARU put it away with four runs, getting four hits and taking advantage of a pair of errors. Junior Maddie Judge (Oro Valley, Ariz.) and junior Sam Holbert (Gilbert, Ariz.) picked up RBI singles in the inning for the Eagles.

That was all that freshman Claire Streeter (San Marino, Calif.) would need as she tossed a six-inning shutout, giving up just four hits and a walk while striking out 12. It was her first shutout and sixth victory of the season.

Game 3

Embry-Riddle started strong again in the third game of the day against Valley City State, with Salas getting a two-out double followed by a run-scoring single from Holbert in the first. The Eagles struck again in the second, pushing three across to make it a 4-0 game. After a run scored on a fielder's choice play, Delaney drew a bases loaded walk before Holbert drove in her second of the evening with a sac fly.

Valley City State got back into it in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with one down on three singles. The Vikings then got a double to right that plated the first two runners, with the third coming around to score when the throw in from the outfield got away.

Embry-Riddle came right back in the bottom half of the inning, taking the wind out of the attempted Valley City State comeback, matching the three Viking runs from the top half of the inning. With one away Holbert drove a pitch over the fence in left for her first home run of the season, giving her a third RBI in the game. Two base hits then put two aboard for Sumpter, who brought in one with a single before a double from senior Diana Miranda Montano (Tucson, Ariz.) scored another.

Embry-Riddle then added three more in the fifth when Sumpter drove in her second run of the night with a single after freshman Autumn Sulusi (Kaneohe, Hawai'i) had plated a pair with a double. The Eagles ended it in the sixth when Judge led off with an infield hit and moved to second on a throwing error. She then beat a throw to third on a grounder off the bat of Salas, before she again beat a throw, this time at home after a Delaney grounder to first, to score the winning run. Delaney also picked up the win in the circle, giving up two earned runs on six hits and striking out a pair.