Softball Drops Two to Open EMU Madiera Beach Spring Invitational

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University softball team was defeated by both the University of North Dakota and Robert Morris University in the first day of the EMU Madeira Beach Spring Invitational Friday, Feb. 20.

The Eagles (1-6) were led by junior Abi Clark, who posted three hits on the afternoon with four RBI, while Abby Davidson notched four hits for the Green and White. Sophomore Michelle Kriegshauser added two RBI to the Eagle tally and senior Jenn Lucas nabbed five hits on the afternoon and drove in two runs against Robert Morris.

Game One: North Dakota 14, Eastern Michigan 11

EMU got its bats going early, scoring four runs off three hits in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman Haley Hostetler led off the inning with a line shot to the left center field fence before Brandice Olmos moved her to third with a sacrifice bunt.

A wild pitch allowed Hostetler to score the first run of the inning for the Green and White before Eastern's second sacrifice bunt of the inning scored Kriegshauser from third base. With a runner on third, Davidson launched a two-run homer over the left field fence to extend the Eagle lead to 4-0 heading into the top of the second.

North Dakota answered back in the top of the inning after it loaded the bases on three-straight walks and scored two runs on an EMU miscue.

EMU extended its lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when it put base runners on first and second with two-straight walks and a Kriegshauser single up the middle. After UND loaded the bases and changed pitchers, Clark hit a shallow ball to right field that brought in two RBI before an overthrow at third base allowed Rich to touch home and give the Eagles a 9-2 lead.

A two-run home run in the top of the fifth brought North Dakota within five before Head Coach Melissa Gentile put in relief pitcher, Alyssa Huntley. Following the pitching change, UND knocked two-straight hits to right field, while a walk loaded the bases with no outs.

A second EMU miscue allowed North Dakota to tack on two more runs, trailing 9-6 with one out and runners on the corner in the top of the fifth inning. Back-to-back hits knotted the score at 9-9, forcing Gentile to make her third pitching change of the inning. Rich came in and took charge with a pop up and a strikeout to close out the inning before any further damage was done.

UND took its first lead of the contest after battling back when Shelby Hard hit the third home run of the contest over the center field wall in the top of the sixth inning.

The Eagles knotted the score at 10-10 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Kriegshauser doubled and pinch runner Katie Wyman advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Clark tallied her third RBI of the contest when she singled through the right side of the field to tie the contest at 10-10 heading into the final inning.

After recording the first two outs of the inning in order, UND put two runners on the basepath before back-to-back homers allowed North Dakota to take a 14-10 lead with a half inning to play.

Eastern Michigan looked to push some runs across the plate in its final at-bat when Elaine Whitbeck led off the inning with a double to the right center fence and advanced to third on a wild pitch. A second-straight wild pitch from UND allowed Whitbeck to cross home, but the run would prove to be the only one of the inning as North Dakota went on to a 14-11 victory.

Despite coming on in relief, Rich suffered the loss in the circle, going 2.2 innings and allowing five runs to score, while freshman Trisha Trujillo pitched four innings in the start of the contest.

Game Two: Robert Morris 7, Eastern Michigan 4

Robert Morris would be the first to light up the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning when back-to-back doubles to opposite fields brought in three runs for the Colonials.

The Eagles responded in the top of the third inning when Whitbeck singled to the left side of the field to lead off the inning. Following the hit, Hostetler singled to third with a line drive that would move Whitbeck to third on a throwing error. A slow rolling hit to the second baseman scored Whitbeck before a single up the middle from Kriegshauser gave EMU its second run of the inning.

The Colonials added three to their tally in the bottom of the third inning with a three-run homer to left center, taking the 6-2 lead over EMU. The Eagles started to rally in the top of the fourth when Clark led off the inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a walk. With no outs, Lucas ripped a double down the left field line to score one and put runners on second and third with no outs. Following a pitching change, RMU recorded three-straight outs to close out the inning, leading the Eagles 6-3.

Robert Morris used a double to left field to score one run in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend its lead to 7-3. Lucas again came through as a senior leader in the top of the fifth inning when she laced a single up the middle with EMU trailing by three.

The Eagles were unable to tack on any final runs in the remaining two innings, falling to the Colonials, 7-4. In game two, Rich suffered the loss, pitching 2.1 innings, while Abbie Minsker closed out the contest for the Green and White.

Eastern Michigan will play just one game Saturday, Feb. 21 when it takes on Columbia at 11 a.m.

Softball Drops Two to Open EMU Madiera Beach Spring Invitational

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Team Stats

Michelle Kriegshauser

Abi Clark

Abby Davidson

Jenn Lucas

Players Mentioned

Abi Clark

Abby Davidson

Haley Hostetler

Alyssa Huntley

Michelle Kriegshauser

Jenn Lucas

Abbie Minsker

Brandice Olmos

Trisha Trujillo

Elaine Whitbeck

Players Mentioned

Abi Clark

Abby Davidson

Haley Hostetler

Alyssa Huntley

Michelle Kriegshauser

Jenn Lucas

Abbie Minsker

Brandice Olmos

Trisha Trujillo

Elaine Whitbeck

Eastern Michigan Athletics