LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The Spring Arbor University softball team suffered its first loss of the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round when it fell to No. 10 ranked Eastern Oregon University 8-3 on Tuesday afternoon.
 
The Cougars pushed a run across in the top of the first inning, but Eastern Oregon responded with eight of its own over the next four innings on the way to securing the win.
 
 
THE BASICS
SCORE: Spring Arbor 3, (10) Eastern Oregon 8
LOCATION: Lawrenceville, Ga. | Georgia Gwinnett College
RECORDS: Spring Arbor 34-21, Eastern Oregon 38-8
 
 
GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Spring Arbor took an early lead when Grace Lentz scored on a wild pitch in the top of the first inning.
• Eastern Oregon answered with three runs in the home half of the first and added three more in the third to grab a 6-1 advantage.
• The Cougars had trouble getting the bats going against the Mountaineers' Kaylie Hoskins, who ranks top three in the country in earned run average and strikeouts. After allowing the first run, Hoskins settled in and held SAU scoreless over the next five frames.
• Trailing 8-1 in the seventh, Spring Arbor plated two runs on an RBI groundout by Tiffany Keller and an RBI single by Emmalee Hamp.
• The Cougars were limited to two hits in the game, including a double by Brooke Meeker.
• Hamp allowed eight runs on nine hits and struck out four batters in 3.0 innings of work. Summer Ambler was outstanding in relief, pitching three scoreless innings.

 
 
UP NEXT
Spring Arbor will play the winner between the Southeastern University and Missouri Baptist University contest tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. in an elimination game.