BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. – The United States Sports University softball team dropped both games of Friday's doubleheader to Blue Mountain, falling 8-6 in the opener and 8-0 in the nightcap.
 
In the first game, the Eagles (0-3) answered an early deficit and held the lead midway through the game.
 
Blue Mountain (9-0) scored two runs in the first inning, but USSU responded with three in the second. Annabeth (AB) Parrish and Sydney Taylor opened the inning with singles. Parrish capitalized on an error and scored the first run of the game for the Eagles. Morgan Courtney drove in a run on a groundout and Aralee Beene added a sacrifice fly to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead.
 
USSU pushed its advantage to 5-3 in the fourth inning. Irina Sanford delivered a two-run fielder's choice to score Courtney and Hailey Vanbrimmer. Sanford brought home a run with a single in the sixth to tie the game at 6-6 and finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs.
 
The Toppers regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth on a run-scoring double and an RBI single.
 
Breana Barnes (0-1) pitched a complete game in her first appearance for the Eagles, allowing eight runs, five earned, on 10 hits over 6.0 innings.
 
In the second game, the Eagles kept the contest scoreless through two innings before Blue Mountain broke through with six runs in the third.
 
USSU recorded three hits in the series finale, including a double by Vanbrimmer and singles from Victoria Nunez and Jaci Hagler. The Eagles drew four walks and stranded seven runners.
 
Ryleigh Merritt (0-2) started in the circle, and McKynzi Dawson worked in relief.
 
Up Next
The Eagles travel to play Point University in a doubleheader on Feb. 21. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. (CT).
 
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