Box Score DUE WEST, SC – The Chowan University softball team opened the 2014 season with two losses on Friday afternoon against Erskine College.  The Hawks fell to the Flying Fleet 6-2 in the first game and 6-4 in the nightcap. 
 
Erskine scored in the home half of the third inning to take an early 1-0 lead before an RBI single by Liz Hipple knotted the score 1-1 in the top of the fourth. 
 
The Flying Fleet used three homeruns to score five additional runs in the contest.  A three-run blast by Lydia Trexler and solo shot by Kat Windham in the fifth along with Taylor Fernandes' homerun in the following frame solidified the win for Erskine in game one.  Courtney Baker's RBI single in the sixth put the Hawks on the board with their second run of the contest. 
 
Courtney Groce suffered the loss for Chowan in game one after allowing six earned runs over the course of six innings.  She collected five strikeouts.  Dani Newton picked up the win for Erskine after holding the Hawks to five hits and two runs.  She stuck out 13 batters in the win. 
 
The Flying Fleet struck first in the night cap using a two-run single by Windham in the home half of the first inning.  The Hawks responded with an RBI single by Tori Cragan, and used an Erskine error and an RBI single by Leighanne Huggins to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the third inning.
 
Erskine scored two runs in the home half of the third and fourth innings to pull away 6-3 before an RBI single by Jack Byrd made the score 6-4 in the fifth.  Both teams failed to score the remainder of the contest resulting in a 6-4 victory for the Flying Fleet.   
 
Alora Lincoln suffered the loss on the mound for Chowan.  She gave up six runs (four earned) while striking out four Erskine batters. Kayli White earned the win for the Flying Fleet while Kat Mulzer was credited with the save. 
 
Jack Byrd went 4-4 at the plate in the nightcap while Leigh Ward finished the game 2-3.  Hipple finished the afternoon with three hits.
 
Erskine improves to 2-2 on the short season while Chowan starts off the year 0-2.  The Hawks will take on North Greenville on Saturday afternoon in a doubleheader slated to begin at 1:00pm.