RIO GRANDE, Ohio – The Asbury University softball team began River States Conference (RSC) play on Friday afternoon at Rio Grande.

The Eagles dropped both games by scores of 3-1 and 8-2.

AU is now 3-9 on the season.

Asbury returns to action tomorrow in Beckley, W. Va. against WVU Tech with a doubleheader beginning at noon.

Game one

Asbury's defense and pitching kept the game early on as the contest was scoreless through the first three innings of play.

Madison Moss put AU ahead in the top half of the third with an RBI single to score Caitlyn Taylor and make it 1-0 Eagles.

The Red Storm answered back with a run in the bottom of the fourth to tie up the game.

AU out-hit Rio in the game by a margin of 8-5, but the Eagles committed four errors in the contest.

Rio would score twice more in the bottom of the fifth to push ahead 3-1.

Ally Moore pitched all six innings of work and struck out five batters.

Paige Hill and Caitlyn Taylor both recorded doubles in the game.

Hill and Kamry Wells each finished with two hits apiece.

Game two

The Eagles fell behind early in the bottom of the first after two quick runs from Rio.

The Red Storm scored at least one run in every inning as they collected 13 hits in total.

Asbury produced eight hits, but left eight runners on base and committed five errors throughout the day.

Paige Hill and Deana Phillips both went 2-4 from the plate and Phillips also collected an RBI.

Phillips got the start in the circle and McKenzie Myer tossed the final five innings of action. Myer struck out three batters.