PRESCOTT, Ariz. - The Carroll College Softball team dropped their season-opening doubleheader at Embry-Riddle, 6-2, 8-3 on Monday afternoon at the Eagle Softball Field.
The Fighting Saints (0-2) flashed the sort of offensive firepower needed to compete in the CCC, but ultimately were outdone by the Eagles (2-0) in the season opening series on Monday.
GAME ONE:
The first couple of innings of the season played out exactly as the Saints envisioned, with a string of hits and some excellent work in the circle. Carroll rattled off three straight singles in the top of the first before a
Morgan Sunchild (Great Falls, Mont. / JR) sac fly would being home the first run of the season, giving the Saints an early 1-0 lead.
Kenna Thomas (Belgrade, Mont. / SR), an All-CCC selection in 2024, blasted a solo shot to straightaway center in the top half of the third, doubling the Saints' lead at 2-0.
The fourth inning is where things unraveled for the Saints. A poor attempt at stealing third on a strikeout would leave a pair stranded in the top half of the inning, and the Eagle bats would come alive in the bottom. Embry-Riddle knocked around
Kennedy Venner (Billings, Mont. / JR) in the frame, scoring four runs on six hits in the frame to grab a 4-2 advantage they wouldn't surrender.
The Eagles added another pair of runs on three hits in the fifth inning, extending their lead to 6-2, then proceeded to shut down any attempt at Carroll rally to pick up the win in game one.
Venner went five innings, giving up 10 hits and six earned runs in the loss, while receiving little offensive help behind her. The Saints went 8-29 at the plate, stranding seven in the loss.
GAME TWO:
Abbie Amend (Spokane, Wash. / JR) got the nod in game two for the Saints, and faced her share of troubles early.
Embry-Riddle opened the game with a pair of doubles, jumping out to a quick 1-0 lead. The Eagles then added three more runs in the second inning, finding the open part of the field with several singles to move runners around.
An error in the third inning gave the Eagles a 5-0 lead, and the hole would prove to be too big for the Saints to climb out of.
A
Brookelynn Jackson (Keizer, Ore. / SO) double in the sixth inning would score both
Taylor Sayers (Helena, Mont. / FR), making her first start behind the dish at Catcher, and
Brooklyn Dryden (Deer Park, Wash. / SO) to chip into the lead at 5-2.
Jade Bayless answered for the Eagles in the bottom of the frame, blasting a three-run homer to extend the lead back out to 8-2.
Alyssa Lybbert (Las Vegas, Nev. / SR) knocked in her first RBI of the season in the top of the seventh, but the effort would be far too little, too late, and Carroll would drop the second game of the day 8-3.
Again, hits were hard to come by for the Saints, as the team went just 6-27 in the night cap.
A doubleheader at Ottawa (Ariz.) is on deck for the Saints tomorrow, with first pitch of the opening game slated for 4 p.m.
Visit www.carrollathetics.com for a preview of the series, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.
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