MESA, Ariz. – A strong pitching performance by senior Kate Delaney (Fort Collins, Colo.) led Embry-Riddle to a win in game two of their California Pacific Conference softball doubleheader against Park-Gilbert. The Buccaneers took game one, 8-4 before the Eagles came back to win 3-0 and take the series three games to one.

Game 1

Park drew first blood in the first game with a pair of runs in the second on a sac fly and an RBI single. Embry-Riddle answered in the third, loading the bases on a pair of hits and a walk. An error allowed one run to score before Delaney drew a bases loaded walk to tie things up.

Park came right back in the bottom half of the inning, however, getting a two-run home run and a solo shot to take a 5-2 lead. Another solo shot by the Buccaneers in the fourth made it 6-2. Junior Sam Holbert (Gilbert, Ariz.) cut the Park lead to 6-4 with a two-run home run, her second of the series, in the fifth.

That would be as close as the Eagles would get, however, as the Buccaneers came back with two more in their half of the fifth to close it out.

Game 2

Delaney pitched the Eagles to the win in game two. She started in the circled and kept Park off balance for the six innings she was in the circle, allowing just one hit and striking out without issuing a walk. Delaney retired the first 13 hitters she faced before an error broke the string.

Two batters into the game for ERAU the Eagles picked up the only run that they would need when freshman Jade Bayless (Redondo Beach, Calif.) lofted a solo home run. In the third sophomore Alexus Marquez (Las Vegas, Nev.) reached on an error, stole second, and scored on another error to make a 2-0 game.

Freshman Autumn Sulusi (Kaneohe, Hawai'i) put an insurance run on the seventh with a solo home run. Freshman Claire Streeter (San Marino, Calif.) came in to pitch the final inning and retired the side in order to pick up the save.