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Box Score 2 Daphne, AL - The United States Sports Academy's Softball Team had their home-opening doubleheader on Thursday against the NAIA's 20th ranked University of Mobile. The Rams won both games on the day by scores of 10-3 and 7-5 at the Daphne Sports Complex. The Eagles had to battle from behind in both contests but fall to 2-4 on the young season while the Rams improved to 5-0.
In game one, the University of Mobile got on the board in the top of the first inning with a pair of runs to lead 2-0. The Rams added three runs in the top half of the fourth inning to move out to a 5-0 lead before the Eagles struck in the bottom half of the fourth.
Caitlin Tilton led off the inning with an infield single and moved up to second base on a ground out.
Sydney Taylor then tripled to right-center driving home Tilton with the Eagles first run of the game.
Dakota Edwards then hit a sacrifice fly to score Taylor to cut the lead to 5-2 after four innings.
The Rams broke the game open in the top of the seventh with five runs on five hits to take a 10-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh. The Eagles were able to scratch out a run in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by
Heather Maxwell scoring
Hailey Vanbrimmer who led off the inning with a double.
Ryleigh Merritt took the loss on the mound for the Eagles. Tilton and Taylor each collected two hits for USSA. Maxwell, and Taylor each drove in one run for the Eagles.
Starting game two, the Rams jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning in game two. The University of Mobile had three hits in the inning and took advantage of an Eagles error to grab the lead. The Eagles picked up a run in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single by Taylor scoring Tilton. The Rams plated a run in the top of the second on a two-out single to move ahead 5-1. With one out in the bottom of the third inning, Maxwell tripled and scored on a double by Tilton to cut the lead to 5-2. The game stayed that way until the seventh inning when the Rams scored a pair of runs in the top half of the inning before the Eagles mounted a comeback. Vanbrimmer led off the 7th with a single followed by a single by
Sheonte Barginere put the first two Eagles on base.
Isabelle Calagaz then singled to score Vanbrimmer cutting the lead to 7-3. Maxwell then continued her big day with a two-run triple to cut the lead to 7-5 but the Eagles weren't able to close the gap further falling 7-5.
Desiree Denmark took the loss on the mound for the Eagles pitching all seven innings.
"I'm proud of the girls resilience and fight today," said Eagles Head Coach Morgan Cinello. "We continued to battle through both games, The University of Mobile is a very good ball club with excellent hitters and pitching, the best is yet to come for us," said Cinello.
USSA will be back in action on Tuesday, February 18 as they host William Carey University at the Daphne Sports Complex in a 12 noon doubleheader.
