Game 1 | Game 2

MACON, Ga. – The Eastern Kentucky University softball team split a pair of contests on the opening day of the Mercer Invitational.
 
Colonels fell in game one to Tulsa, 5-2, before knocking off Dayton 14-6 in the nightcap.
 
In game two, the Colonels scored 13 unanswered runs in the first and second innings to roll past Dayton.
 
The Flyers (1-1) got on the board first in the top of the first. The leadoff batter reached via a hit by pitch, and Abby Ehrenborg took advantage of that. Enrenborg deposited a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall to give Dayton an early 2-0 lead.
 
But the Flyers never led again.
 
A Sammi Miller single, followed by walks from Zoe Mihalicz and Carly Robinson loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first. Mattira Morales delivered by sending a 3-1 pitch down the left field line for a bases-clearing triple to give Eastern the 3-2 lead. Miranda Lopez brought home Morales with an RBI sac fly to push the Colonel lead to 4-2 after an inning of play.
 
Melissa Jacobsen walked followed by a Miller single to put runners on the corners with no one out in the bottom of the second. After Jacobsen scored on a passed ball, Mihalicz and Ariyana Miranda both walked to load the bases with no one out. Robinson delivered, sending a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall to clear the bases and give the Colonels a 9-2 lead.
 
Bella Gonzalez, Gracie Frazier and Miller all had RBI hits to extend the Colonel lead to 13-2 after two innings of play.
 
In the top of the fourth inning, the first two Dayton batters reached after back-to-back singles. After a one out walk loaded the bases for the Flyers, Alyssa Cacini took a 2-2 pitch over the center field wall to clear the bases and cut into the Colonel lead, 13-6.
 
Bethany Todd (1-0) picked up her first win of the season tossing three innings and striking out one.
 
Miller went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three stolen bases. Morales chipped in 2-for-3 with a triple, three RBIs and a walk.
 
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In game one, the Golden Hurricane got on the board first. A walk to Kylie Norwood and a double by Chenise Delce down the left field line put runners on second and third with one out. Alexis Perry drove in the first run of the game after a Colonel error to take a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
 
Freshman Ariyana Miranda got the run back quick. In her first collegiate at bat, she deposited a pitch over the left field fence to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Tulsa (2-0) responded in the bottom of the third. Norwood reached first after an infield single with one out. With two outs, Norwood scored all the way from first on a RBI single by Perry to retake the 2-1 lead.
 
The Golden Hurricane extended their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Down 0-2 in the count, Delce sent a line drive over the center field fence for a two run home run to take a 4-1 lead.
 
The Colonels did not go down without a fight though.
 
Zoe Mihalicz led off the top of the sixth with a solo home run over the left field fence to cut the Tulsa lead to 4-2.
 
Down 5-2 in the top of the seventh the Colonels sent the tying run to the plate with two outs, but a fly out to center field ended the EKU threat.
 
Sammi Miller, Mihalicz, Miranda, Mollie Paulick and Miranda Lopez all picked up a hit in the game.
 
Delce went 2-for-3 for the Golden Hurricane and picked up the win in the circle tossing six and two-third innings with six strikeouts.
 
The Colonels will be back in action on Saturday when the Colonels take on Wright State and Tulsa. First pitch against Wright State is scheduled for 6 p.m.