DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle softball team routed visiting Fisher College on Wednesday night. The offense came alive as the Eagles swept the Falcons by scores of 24-1 and 23-0.
Game 1 – ERAU 24, FC 1 (5 inn.)
Anna Battison led off the first inning with a walk and advanced to second on a single by Raquelli Bianco. She then came around to score on a wild pitch followed by a passed ball. Bianco scored on a sacrifice fly by Simons.
The Eagles added to their lead, scoring ten in the bottom of the second inning. Victoria Reed started off with a walk and moved to second as Natalie Morales walked. Battison followed that up with a single to load the bases. Bianco then singled to right field to score Reed. Morales crossed the plate on a wild pitch and Battison took home on a drop third strike as the ball was thrown to first base. Bianco then also scored on a wild pitch before Robi Zimmerman and Lewis reached base on back-to-back walks. Rae Heuer then hit a single to left center to bring Zimmerman home. Leading 7-0, Gabriella Obia singled to load the bases before Lewis scored on a wild pitch. Victoria Reed then picked up an RBI as she singled to score Heuer. Morales drove in Reed on a stand-up double to left center field. She scored on a triple to center field by Bianco to put the Eagles ahead 12-0.
In the bottom of the fourth the Eagles had a 12 run inning. Battison led off reaching base on a bunt single and then stole second. Bianco took first base on a walk before Simons singled up the middle to score Battison from second base. Zimmerman then loaded the bases as she was hit by a pitch. Lewis singled to left center in the next at bat to score Bianco and Simons. Ahead 17-0, Heuer then singled to pick up two more RBIs as Zimmerman and Lewis came home. Obia walked in the next at bat followed by a single from Reed to score Heuer. Getting hit by a pitch, Morales took first base. Batting around, Battison hit a single up the middle in the next at bat. Obia scored on the play to put the Eagles up 19-0. Picking up her second walk of the day, Bianco took first. Simons then singled to left field to score Morales. Zimmerman then followed suit to single as well, bringing home Battison. Heuer singled to the left side to bring Bianco home. With the bases loaded, Reed was hit by a pitch as Simons scored the 24th run of the game for the Blue and Gold.
In the top of the fifth, Fisher strung together three hits to get one run back. However, Zimmerman was able to strike out two in the inning to end the game.
Zimmerman got the win in the circle, her fifth of the year. She struck out nine in the game while helping herself at the plate with a hit, an RBI and two walks. Reed, Bianco and Simons led the team in RBIs with three apiece. Battison, Bianco, and Heuer each registered three hits in the game. Morales had a double and Bianco a triple.
Game 2 - ERAU 23, FC 0 (5 inn.)
The Eagles wasted no time picking up where they left off, scoring 13 runs in the bottom of the first inning, a new program record.
Battison led off with a walk as Obia and Bianco followed suit also reaching on walks to load the bases. Then Simons lifted a ball over the left center field fence for a grand slam to put the home side ahead 4-0. Lewis and Hannah Thomas then both walked. Up next, Mckenzee Quinn hit a single to left field to score Lewis. Morales and Battison then had back-to-back walks, Battison's second of the inning. With the bases loaded, Obia reached base on a dropped fly ball that allowed Quinn to come home. Leading 8-0, Bianco walked followed by a sacrifice fly from Zimmerman to score Battison from third base. Simons then picked up two more RBIs in the inning, hitting a double to right field to score Bianco and Obia. Lewis mirrored Simons, hitting a double to right field as well to bring Simons around the base path. Quinn then hit an infield single to bring home Lewis for the 13th run of the inning.
Blanked in the second inning, the Eagles added ten more in the bottom of the third. Lewis led off by sending the first pitch over the left field fence. Morales then reached base on a fielding error by the third baseman, Kristina Brown. Up next, Obia hit a ball to centerfield that was mishandled allowing Morales to come around and score. Reaching on an earlier single, Battison scored on a single from Bianco. Zimmerman then singled to centerfield, bringing in Obia to put the Eagles ahead 17-0. Simons then doubled for the second time in the game to score Bianco. In her second at bat of the inning, Lewis launched the first pitch again over the left center field fence. The three-run home run scored Simons and Zimmerman to put ERAU up 21-0. Thomas then reached on a fielding error by the centerfielder and scored as Quinn doubled to centerfield in the next at bat. Morales brought Quinn home as she reached on a dropped fly ball.
Back in the circle, Simons secured the no-hitter by striking out two in the top of the fifth for the 23-0 win.
Simons had six strikeouts in her eighth win while walking one. She was also 3-for-5 at the plate with seven RBIs, a new program record, including two doubles and a grand slam. Lewis was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and two home runs for five RBIs. Quinn also had a double while going 3-for-4 to drive in three runs.
The Eagles now go on the road for just the second time this year for a three-game series against Tampa. The first game is Friday at 7pm with a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1pm.