DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Davenport University softball team traveled northeast from Tampa to Daytona Beach on Tuesday to take on Embry-Riddle in another doubleheader. The Eagles scored two runs in the sixth to outlast the Panthers in game one, 3-2, before DU broke it open for an 8-3 game-two win and salvaged the split.

Davenport (2-5) has a day off on Wednesday before beginning a three-day, six-game stretch in Winter Haven on Thursday. That six-game stretch at Diamond Plex Softball Complex begins with Cedarville (10 a.m.) and Notre Dame College (2:30 p.m.). On the other side, Embry-Riddle is now 9-4 overall and suffered its first home loss of the young season (4-1).

In game one, Embry-Riddle scored first with a run in the second before Davenport answered with a pair of its own two innings later. Kennedy Crawford hit a double to left center that brought in both Mariah Cura and Briana Allen. However, the Eagles put up a two spot in the sixth to win game one.

In the circle, Ellie Muilenburg (1-2) took a tough loss after giving up just three runs, two earned, on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

In the nightcap, Embry-Riddle scored first again, this time with two runs in the bottom of the third. Davenport responded in an even bigger way this time, though, with five runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth. In those two innings alone, the Panthers pushed across eight runs on nine hits before the Eagles scored their third and final run in the home half of the fifth.

Davenport turned in two-hit games from both the leadoff hitter in the lineup in Gabby Palazzolo (2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB) and the No. 9 hitter in Kennedy Crawford (2-for-4, 1 R, 3 RBIs). Meanwhile, Taylor Simon (1-2) picked up her first victory of the season with a complete-game effort, three earned runs allowed on six hits, three free passes, and three punchouts.

Story by: Cooper Weidenthaler