Tartans Run-Rule Eagles in Game 1, Fall 6-2 in Game 2

(ATLANTA, Ga.) - The Carnegie Mellon University softball team started University Athletic Association (UAA) play with a 2-0 record after topping Emory University 12-1 in five innings on Saturday, March 26. The Eagles then won 6-2 in game three of the series in the Saturday doubleheader making the Tartans 11-7 for the year and 2-1 in UAA play.

The Tartans poured on the offense in game one with nine hits while taking advantage of six errors by the Eagles. Freshman Libby Eichberger (Aurora, Ill. / Metea Valley) had her second straight game with three hits and eighth multi-hit game of the season, knocking a double and a triple while scoring two runs. Freshman Faith Lawrence (Peachtree Corners, Ga. / Norcross) and sophomore Erika Heffernen (Moorestown, N.J. / Moorestown) each had two RBIs with Heffernen collecting two hits for the fourth time this season.

Senior Scotty McGee (Huntington Beach, Calif. / Huntington Beach) pitched her first complete game of the season by scattering three hits with five strikeouts and is now 2-1 in three starts and four appearances.

The Eagles made three errors in the first inning that helped the Tartans score four runs off four hits. Lawrence hit a double in the inning to score the first run with two other runs scoring on a pair of errors during freshman Allie Rome's at bat. Junior Izzy Bermudez (Austin, Texas / Dripping Springs) also hit a double in the inning that scored Rome for the 4-0 lead.

Seven runs in the fourth inning for the Tartans came off two hits and three errors by the Eagles. Eichberger and Heffernen had the hits, Lawrence was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Rome had a sacrifice fly.

McGee gave up one run in the bottom of the fourth but struck out the final two batters of the inning to enter the fifth with a 10-run lead. Eichberger then tripled to lead off the fifth and scored on a pinch-hit sacrifice fly by freshman Abbey Reese (Whitehall, Pa. / Whitehall) to make it 12-1. The Eagles loaded the bases with two walks and a hit but with two outs, McGee struck out graduate student Natalie Costero to end the game.

Game two went the other direction as the Tartans made three errors to zero for the Eagles. The home team was able to plate three runs in the first inning while adding another two in the fourth and one in the sixth. The Tartans scored once in the sixth inning but were unable to complete the comeback in the seventh despite scoring a run with two hits.

Senior Mattie Ryan allowed eight hits to the Tartans but spread them out with a single hit in three different innings before the sixth when the Tartans pounded out three but could only score once. Heffernen and Bermudez had two hits apiece with Heffernen hitting safely in her fifth straight game.

The series finale will begin at 12:00 p.m. tomorrow, Sunday, March 27.