FORT MYERS, Fla. - The College of Southern Idaho Softball Team earned the split with top-ranked Florida Southwestern State Thursday in non-conference action, falling 5-0 in game one before winning game two 6-5.
It's the second top-five win for the Golden Eagles in two weeks.
Golden Eagle pitcher Brooke Merrill had a good outing in the first game, giving up just one earned run. But a few defensive miscues gave them four unearned runs and CSI struggled to get anything going offensively.
Merrill finished the game, giving up seven hits with four strikeouts.
At the plate, only two CSI players posted hits. Kylie Baumert and Alicia Ortega each went 1-for-3.
In game two, the Golden Eagles led 3-1 going into the bottom of the sixth. But Florida Southwestern battled back to take the 5-3 lead going into the seventh.
With one out, Baumert was hit by pitch. Sophia Stoddard followed with a walk. Then Gracie Tentinger crushed a double to the wall to score Baumert and Maame Johnson who was pinch running for Stoddard. With the game tied and Perla Duran running for Tentinger, the freshman moved to third on passed ball and scored on a wild pitch to take the 6-5 lead.
August Cowan, who entered the game in the sixth, shut the door. The freshman pitcher went two innings, giving up just one hit and no runs with one strikeout for the win.
At the plate, Tentinger was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Caitlin Turner was 2-for-3 and Baumer was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Ortega had a home run.
CSI takes on State College of Florida at 11 a.m. ET and 15th-ranked Indian River at 1:15 p.m. ET Friday.