CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Colgate softball team dropped both ends of its Sunday doubleheader, falling to Eastern Illinois 13-4 in the opener before dropping a 3-2 decision to USC Upstate in the night cap.
 
Colgate fell to 7-8 on the season after the losses. Eastern Illinois improved to 5-15, while USC Upstate picked up its 17th win of the season, improving to 17-5 with the win.
 
Game 1: Eastern Illinois 13, Colgate 4
 
Colgate got off to a strong start in the opener with a single from Rebecca Johnson and a double from Meghan Romero to put two runners on base in the top of the first. After the next two outs were recorded, Nicole Rounsavill stepped to the dish and belted a two-run double to give the Raiders an early 2-0 lead.
 
Eastern Illinois climbed back to tie it with a pair of runs in the top of the second, but Colgate responded with two more runs in the home half. Romero drove in Mia Guevarra on an RBI double and later scored on a passed ball as Colgate jumped back out to a two-run lead 4-2.
 
The Raider lead did not last, however, as Eastern Illinois tied it back up with two runs in the third and took the lead for good with four runs in the fourth.
 
The Panthers scored 11 unanswered runs en route to the 13-4 final.
 
Colgate finished with five hits in the game, led by two from Romero.
 
Game 2: USC Upstate 3, Colgate 2
 
Virginia Irby and Romero opened the night cap with back-to-back singles, but a double play and a strikeout ended the frame still scoreless in the first.
 
USC Upstate did all of its damage in the bottom of the third with three runs on four hits to open an early lead.
 
Elisa Cecchetti reached on a fielder's choice and Alicia Dorgan doubled before both scoring on back-to-back singles from Kristen Wright and Sarah Price. Brittany Case followed with a bases-loaded walk to extend USC Upstate's lead to 3-0 after two frames.
 
Colgate chipped away with a pair of solo home runs in each of the last two innings. Lauren La Terra belted a solo shot to get the Raiders on the board with two outs in the sixth, before Guevarra led off the seventh with a blast over the left field fence to cut the deficit to just 3-2. 
 
That was as close as the Raiders would get, as a strikeout and a flyout ended the game with the Spartans taking the victory, 3-2.
 
Irby and La Terra paced Colgate offensively with two hits apiece.
 
Jessica Hay pitched well in the circle despite shouldering the loss. She allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits with three walks in the complete-game effort.

KEY RAIDER NOTES
• Irby and Romero led the Raiders with three hits on the day.
• La Terra and Rounsavill each finished with two hits.
• Rounsavill paced Colgate with two RBI in the doubleheader.
• Colgate hit two home runs in a game for the fourth time this season.
• Six of the Raiders' 13 hits went for extra bases.  
• Guevarra's home run was the first of her collegiate career.
• La Terra's blast was her seventh in a Raider uniform.  
 
UP NEXT
• Colgate takes Monday off before returning to the field Tuesday for a doubleheader against South Florida with games slated for 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.