PRESCOTT, Ariz. Offense and some timely pitching carried the day for the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.) softball team as the Eagles set a program record for wins in a season with a 13-5 (6 Inn.) and 7-2 victories over San Diego Christian. ERAU has now won 5-of-6 and reached 18 victories for the season, bettering the 17 victories reached last season. Senior Kaila Romero (Lancaster, Calif.) and junior Bailey Critchlow (Stockton, Utah) each had five hits over the two games for the Eagles.

Game 1
After a scoreless first inning, Embry-Riddle (18-11) exploded for seven runs in the second inning to take a lead it would not relinquish. Romero's single to left, the third straight hit to start the inning, scored the first run of the game. After adding two more runs on sac fly by junior Kaila Provost (Temecula, Calif.) and a double steal that saw Romero swipe home, the Eagles loaded the bases for freshman Haley Basye (Tucson, Ariz.) who slammed a pitch over the fence in left for a grand slam and a 7-0 lead.

That was all the support that senior Olivia Ramos (Phoenix, Ariz.) would need in the circle as she went all the way for a six-inning complete game. She gave up three earned runs on five hits while striking out five to improve to 6-1 for the season.

San Diego Christian (9-17) rallied with three runs in the third and two more in the fifth to pull within 8-5, with Bailey Romano driving in three of the runs for the Hawks, but the Eagles answered with four in the fifth and then a run in the sixth to win it via the eight-run rule. ERAU banged out five hits to come up with the four runs in the fifth before Critchlow ended it with one out in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run, her fourth of the season.

Game 2
San Diego Christian scored first in game 2 when Kayla Mack doubled home a run in the second for the Hawks. Embry-Riddle immediately answered, scoring three times in the bottom half of the inning. Romero led off the inning with a home run to tie the game before the Eagles loaded the bases for Critchlow, who put ERAU on top with an RBI single. Senior Hannah DeLuna (Tucson, Ariz.) also added an RBI base-hit to put ERAU on top, 3-1.

Embry-Riddle went on to score in each of the next three innings, bumping up its lead to 7-1 in the fifth when Critchlow drove in her third run of the day. San Diego Christian attempted a rally in the sixth when it loaded the bases with one down. Junior Lani Kaleikini (San Francisco, Calif.) got out of the jam with a pop up and a ground out to first, allowing just one run on a bases loaded walk to Martiza Martinez. Kaleikini went on to pick up the victory, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out a pair.