LEESBURG, Fla – After a pair of wins on Tuesday and an off day on Wednesday, the Golden Eagles came out swinging on Thursday, defeating Bellevue 3-2 before falling short to Spring Arbor 4-2. Bellevue won 50 games last year and is receiving votes nationally to start the 2018 campaign. The split makes Cornerstone's record 3-5 heading into Friday's evening doubleheader against Judson and Midway.
Game 1 – A solo home run by Courtney Ducharme in the first inning gave the Golden Eagles an early 2-0 lead. Bellevue's Alex Tooley evened the game at 2-2 with a two-run homer in the second inning. In both the third and fourth innings, Bellevue had two runners on base with only one out. Both innings ended in double plays turned by the Cornerstone defense, keeping the game tied. Ducharme led off the sixth inning with another long ball to grab a 3-2 advantage heading into the final inning. With two outs in the seventh, Erin Sharpe, who led the NAIA with 28 home runs in 2017, approached the plate. Sharpe drove the ball to center field but it was caught by McKena Razenberg to seal the victory.
Key Performances:
Courtney Ducharme - 2 home runs
Rachel Younts - 7 IP, 2 K, 1 BB
Mackenzie Vallad - 6 assists, 2 putouts at third base
Game 2 – Lexi Lieske put CU on the board with an RBI groundout in the first inning. Spring Arbor rallied for two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Mackenzie Vallad evened the game at 2-2 with an RBI single in the top of the second, but SAU regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the inning. The Golden Eagles had two baserunners in the 7th inning but couldn't overcome the deficit.
Key Performances:
Mackenzie Vallad - 3 hits, 1 RBI
Lexi Lieske - 3 hits, 1 RBI
Maddie Vassar - 2 runs scored
By the Numbers
2 – Two home runs for Ducharme
4-29 / 16-10 – The Golden Eagles were outscored 29-4 in the first four games, but have outscored their opponents 16-10 since
6 – Vallad's six assists tie a career-high
2 – Two double plays recorded by CU defense
Up Next
The Golden Eagles will play two more games on Friday evening. They'll have a rematch with Judson at 4:30 before taking on Midway University at 7:00.
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