EC softball splits a pair in FastPitch Dreams Classic

NORTH MRYTLE BEACH, S.C. -- The Eureka College softball team split a pair of non-conference decisions at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic, Tuesday in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.  The Red Devils opened the day with a 7-0 victory over Sarah Lawrence (N.Y.), before coming up short on a 2-0 final against Albright (Penn.).
 
The Red Devils enter the final day of their spring trip with a 5-1 mark.

Eureka picked up right where they left off from Monday's victory against the Gryphons. Senior Savanna Tapper (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria) led off the contest in similar fashion with a triple to left center and touched home on the next at-bat courtesy of an RBI ground out from sophomore Krysten Wallace (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone).

The Red Devils tacked on another run in the second and extended their lead to 4-0 in the fourth when freshman Kerrigan Dura (Brimfield, Ill./Brimfield) singled to left side to bring home Tapper and freshman Madaline Kane (Havana, Ill./Havana).

EC put the finishing touches on their offensive output by adding one run in the fifth and pair of runs in sixth.

Junior Rachel Patterson (Tremont, Ill./Tremont [Illinois Central]) recorded her third win in as many days in the circle. Patterson scattered four hits, walked one and struck out four.

In the afternoon contest hits were sparse with neither team able to move a runner past second base.

Albright got on the board in the fourth and pushed their lead to 2-0 in the fifth on a walk with the bases loaded.

Dura led the Red Devils with a triple and single in game two.

The Red Devils will bring their eight-game spring trip to a close Wednesday with two more non-conference matchups.  EC will face Morrisville State at 8:30 a.m. CST and Wisconsin-Stout at 10:30 a.m. CT.