KISSIMMEE, Fla.  – Following a tough loss in the opener on day two of the Rebel Spring Games, the Bridgewater Eagles came from behind in extra innings to outlast Ursinus in game two by a 8-7 score to earn the daily split.  

Bridgewater got on the board in the first inning against Blufton when a Lauren Childress single to third base scored Hillary Rees to put the Eagles ahead 1-0.

Over the next five innings of play, the two teams locked up in a battle in the circle, as Bridgewater maintained a 1-0 lead until the Beavers tallied a two-out run in the bottom of the sixth.

Shortstop Emily Morris fielded an Emily Manahan grounder but couldn't get the ball out of her glove as Manahan slid in to first base safely and Paige Gerdeman sprinted home from third to knot the game at one each.

Bridgewater responded with a run of its own in the top of the seventh when a Heather Jenkins single through the right side brought in freshman Kasey Anderson to put the Eagles up 2-1.

In the home half of the frame, Natalie Nikitas reached on a single to lead off the inning, forcing the Eagles to change pitchers.

Reliever Amber Marstin came in to try to close the game out, but a sacrifice bunt from Stevie Cuttitta pushed Nikitas into scoring position with one out.

Following the Cuttitta sacrifice bunt, Shelby Erford put a 0-2 pitch over the left centerfield fence to end the game, giving the Beavers a hard-fought 3-2 victory.

Four Eagles led the way with a hit each as the Bridgewater bats were kept in check.

Marstin picked up the loss, allowing two runs after recording just one out. Starting pitcher Summer Ramsey received the no-decision. Ramsey worked six innings, allowing two runs off of six hits, while striking out one.

Nikitas' 2-for-3 afternoon paced the way for the Bluffton bats.

In the circle, Kristin Agauas picked up the win. Agauas pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing two walks, while striking out one. The Bluffton starting pitcher, Kayla Owens, recorded the no-decision, allowing two runs on four hits over six and a third innings of work.

In game two, Ursinus jumped all over Bridgewater in the top of the first, tallying four runs to put the Eagles in an early hole.

Bridgewater answered in the bottom of the frame, when an Aven Thomas homer over the left centerfield fence cut the Bears lead to 4-2.

Over the next two innings, both teams were held in check at the plate, before Bridgewater cut into the Ursinus lead in the home half of the fourth.

Catcher Sarah Heretick drilled a double to left center to score sophomore Morgan Williams to bring the game to a 4-3 Ursinus lead.

In the top half of the sixth, Ursinus put an insurance run on the board, to extend its lead to 5-3, which is where the game would remain until the bottom of the seventh.

Jenkins led things off in the inning with a double, before Thomas followed with a single to put runners on the corners with one out.

Morris followed the Thomas single with one of her own, scoring Jenkins in the process to cut the Bears lead to 5-4.

Later in the inning, a Martsin single, allowed Anderson to score from second base after a fielding error, knotting the game up at five as the contest headed to extra innings.

Ursinus plated a run in the top of the eighth, when a single drove in Sido to put the Bears ahead 6-5. Sido was placed on second base to start the inning due to the international rule.

Bridgewater responded with a run of its own in the frame, knotting the score at 6-6, pushing the contest to the 9^th.

After the Bears again tallied a run in the top half of the inning, Bridgewater brought out the heavy artillery in the ninth.

Morris was placed on second base to start the inning and was quickly bunted to third off of a single from Childress to put runners on the corners with no outs.

Two batters later, Spinelli singled through the left side, scoring Morris to tie the game again, this time at a 7-7 tally.

During the ensuing at bat, Leigh Lam pinch hit for Sarah Heretick and drilled a 2-2 pitch to the left field gap, scoring Childress to give the Eagles a hard-fought 8-7 win.

Thomas was hot at the plate for the Eagles, going a perfect 4-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI.

The sophomore also got the win in the circle, going nine complete while striking out six Ursinus batters.

For the Bears, four players had two hits, led by Rachel Vietheer's two RBI game.

In the circle, Caitlin Whelen picked up the loss. Whelen tossed 8.1 innings of work, allowing all eight Bridgewater runs. Whelen also struck out six in the process.

Bridgewater is back in on Thursday when the team takes on Marietta and Misericordia at the Osceola County Softball Complex, starting at 9:00 a.m.