HARRISONBURG, Va. – In game one, the Bridgewater Eagles softball team overcame four errors and broke a 3-3 deadlock in the seventh inning with a four-run explosion to take the opener by a 7-3 score. In the nightcap, the Eagles and the Royals ended the fifth inning at an 8-8 tie before the game was halted due to darkness.

Bridgewater (11-4, 3-2 ODAC) took an early lead in game number one due to a two-run first inning. The Eagles opened the inning with three straight singles to load the bases. Senior Brea Hinegardner hit into a double play as the Royals looked to get out of the jam, but sophomore Brooke Throckmorton responded with a two-run single to left field, scoring Samantha Fridley and Lauren Jenkins to build a 2-0 lead.

The Royals added a single run in the second on a Nicolette Cuevas sacrifice fly to left field as Eastern Mennonite cut the Bridgewater lead in half, 2-1.

Bridgewater ran its lead back out to two runs, 3-1, in the top of the fourth when freshman Haley Harris belted a two-out homer to put the Eagles back up by a pair. The long ball for Harris was the first of her career. 

Eastern Mennonite (5-10, 0-3 ODAC) capitalized on a Bridgewater miscue to earn its second run of the game and trim the Bridgewater lead to 3-2. Cuevas singled to open the inning and scored when Brooke Sigrist took advantage of an infield error which allowed Cuevas to score, bridging the gap to 3-2. Another Bridgewater error allowed the Royals to get on the board in the sixth when a fielder's choice groundout with the bases loaded allowed Jordan Aylor to score from third base, tying the game up at three runs each.

In the seventh, the Eagles got all of the runs they would need with a four-run explosion to take the opener. Harris walked to lead off the inning before being driven home on a Brianna Cox double to centerfield to put the Eagles back out in front, 4-3. Following a sacrifice bunt which put a runner at third with one out, pinch hitter Berkeley Driskill belted a single down the line in left, scoring pinch runner Elizabeth Keech to put Bridgewater up, 5-3. Senior Kasey Anderson followed with a single and a Jenkins double to the gap in left scored Anderson and replacement runner Jen Balcom to put Bridgewater up by a 7-3 margin.

Cox retired the Royals in order in the seventh to secure the win in the opener.

Jenkins led a 10-hit Bridgewater attack with a 3-for-4 game with two RBI. Anderson chipped in a 2-for-4 game with a run scored.

Cox picked up the victory in the circle allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits while fanning a trio of Royals batters.

Three players tallied a hit each for the Royals in the opener while Aylor picked up the loss.

In game two, the Royals ran out to a 5-1 lead before the Eagles used another big inning to take the lead before darkness halted the game in the fifth at an 8-8 tally.

Anderson led off the second game with a triple and was pushed home on a Jenkins RBI-groundout to put the Eagles out in front, 1-0.

Eastern Mennonite used a five-run first inning to blow the game wide open. The inning was highlighted by an Aylor two-run homer and a two-RBI single from the bat of Cuevas as the Royals took a 5-1 lead into the second.

Bridgewater capitalized on an EMU miscue in the second to trim the deficit to 5-2. Harris walked to open the inning and later scored on a Royals throwing error to bring Bridgewater back to within three runs.

The Royals plated a run in the fourth with Casey Racer sprinted home on a Sigrist double to hand the hosts a 6-2 advantage.

Following the EMU run, the Eagles responded in a big way with a five-run fourth inning. Cox singled up the middle to open the inning and Burgess singled to right to put runners at first and second. Following a fielder's choice which retired Cox, Anderson loaded the bases with a single to the pitcher. Jenkins followed with a double down the line in left, scoring Balcom and Burgess to cut the deficit to 6-4.

Eastern Mennonite changed pitchers and a pair of defensive players after the Jenkins double but the Eagles weren't done. Fridley greeted new pitcher Mariah Foltz with a three-run blast to hand Bridgewater a 7-6 lead.

Under barely playable conditions in the latter part of the contest, the Eagles added a run in the fifth to take an 8-6 lead. Eastern Mennonite answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning before the game was called due to darkness.

No date has been determined for the two teams to finish the final two stanzas.

Bridgewater returns to action on Sunday with a twinbill at Roanoke. Start time against the Maroons is set for 1:30 p.m.