The 2009 season marked another successful campaign for the Emory softball program.  The Eagles recorded the school's 10th consecutive winning season, finishing with an overall record of 32-12.  The squad's final win total represented the program's eighth season of 30 or more win in its 11-year history.  Other notable accomplishments from the 2009 Eagles included the following:

** The program's fourth straight and eighth bid to the NCAA Tournament.

** Establishing a school seasonal record with 25 home runs, bettering the previous standard of 21 set by the 2007 team.

** Leading the UAA in numerous categories including batting average (.334), ERA (1.38), slugging percentage (.479), runs scored (247), doubles (67), triples (17), home runs (25) and opposing team hitting average (.188).
 
** Ranking nationally in a number of statistical categories including batting average (32nd, .346), ERA (17th, 1.38), fielding percentage (33rd, .965), and slugging percentage (31st, .479).

** A final national ranking of 27th as voted by the NFCA.

Head Coach Penny Siqueiros saw her squad get off to a hot start, rattling off victories in its first 11 outings while posting an impressive 18-1 won-lost slate after 19 contests, tying the best 19-game start in school history.  The Eagles would hit a bumpy patch from mid-March to early April with a 5-7 record, but rebounded down the stretch to win six of its last eight regular-season contests. 

Emory earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament where it was the No. 3 seed in the Salisbury Regional.  The Eagles opened with a 2-0 start in the postseason, topping LaGrange (1-0) and Neumann College (6-0).  However, the Eagles dropped their next two contests which ended their season.

Senior first baseman Kim Bandy turned in a huge season that culminated with her earning a second-team berth on the NFCA All-America Team.  Bandy, who also claimed first-team spots on both the UAA and All-Atlantic Region teams,  started all 44 games and finished third on the team and sixth among University Athletic Association players with a .401 batting average. She tied with Jessica Thomas for the top spot on the squad and second among UAA performers with a slugging percentage of .667, good for an eighth-place tie on the school's seasonal chart. The owner of 18 multi-hit contests this year, she tied for the team's lead with 59 safeties and topped all Eagles with seven triples.

Senior pitcher Shanon Andersen closed out her two-year career in fine fashion, compiling a won-lost mark of 17-9 along with a UAA-leading ERA of 1.03, good for 21st place nationally.  Andersen tossed 169 2/3 innings during the year and maintained her status as one of the league's dominant hurlers with 215 strikeouts to her credit, and her average of 8.9 strikeouts per game (7 inn.) placed her 28th among Division III performers.  Tabbed as a All-UAA Second Team member, Andersen, fanned 10 or more batters on eight occasions in 2009 and finished her career as the school's all-time leader with 445 strikeouts while her ERA of 1.07 ranked second.   In addition, she finished fourth all-time at Emory in wins (38), most complete games (29) and innings pitched (347 2/3).

Freshman left fielder Jessica Thomas played a key role in the team's success with her offensive prowess enabling her to claim many honors.  Named as the UAA Rookie of the Year, Thomas was a NFCA Third Team All-Atlantic Region selection and was chosen to the Salisbury Regional All-Tournament Team. A starter in 41 of 42 contests, she came through with a team-best 19 multi-hit contests and finished second on the club and fourth in the UAA with a .418 hitting average.  She tied Kim Bandy for the team lead with 59 safeties, tying for the No. 3 position in the conference, and her league-best 15 doubles ranked her fifth on the Eagles' seasonal ladder.  The rookie provided Emory with a long-ball threat with her team-high six homers tying for the No. 2 position in the UAA.

Junior center fielder Cassie Walsh continued to bring home the accolades as her .424 batting average paced all team members while ranking third on the UAA ladder.  Walsh, who started 41 of 42 games, tallied 16 multi-hit affairs and was successful on all 15 of her base-stealing opportunities.  She was selected as a First Team All-UAA honoree for the third time and captured an All-Atlantic Region first-team nod as well.  After three seasons with the program, Walsh is third all-time at Emory in hitting (.408), second in stolen bases (51) and ninth in base hits (165).

Senior Alyson Moler enjoyed a productive and workman-like season that saw her post a .308 average.  She, along with Kim Bandy, were the only players to start all 44 games and her 10 doubles placed her in a tied for second on the team while her four home runs ranked third.  A First Team All-UAA choice, Moler was fourth on the team in both mulit-hit games (12) and multi-RBI contests (7).  She finished her four-year career ninth on the school's all-time ladder in games played (164) and eighth in starts (157).

Junior Caitlin Fitzgerald was afforded First Team All-UAA honors for the initial time in her career, ending the campaign with a .337 batting average that placed her among the top 15 performers in the UAA.   Fitzgerald, a starter in 36 of 37 games, posted nine multi-hit contests and totaled eight doubles and 12 RBIs.

Giving the team's pitching corps a boost was the freshman tandem of Bridget Holloway and Kelsey Floyd.  The pair combined for 15 victories and established themselves as mainstays for future years. Holloway compiled a won-lost mark of 10-1 along with an ERA of 1.46.  She tossed 62 1/3 innings and fanned 54 while issuing just eight base-on-balls. Floyd checked in with a 5-2 ledger and whiffed 53 batters in 60 2/3 innings of action.

Honors and Awards