After splitting an exhibition doubleheader at Georgia Highlands over the weekend, the Emory softball team resumes regular-season play with two road doubleheaders.  On Thursday (Apr. 7), the Eagles travel to the Alto Park Softball Complex in Rome, Ga., to battle Shorter University with the first game slated for a 4:30 pm start.  On Saturday, Emory ventures to Birmingham Southern for two offerings with the first pitch slated for 2:00 pm (CDT).

Emory, ranked No. 2 in the Division III ranks by the NFCA, begins the week with a 22-game win streak that has boosted its overall record to 31-1.  The Eagles' consecutive victory mark is second-longest in school history, second only to the 2011 team's 26 straight triumphs, while its overall record ties the 2013 squad for the program's best 32-game ledger.  

Emory is hitting a hefty .363 as a team, tops in the University Athletic Association and 19^th among all D-III programs (through Mar. 31).  The Eagles have put together 16 contests of 10 or more hits and have scored in double figures on 10 occasions.  Emory is averaging 8.63 runs per game, slotting it first in the league and ninth nationally.

Individually, the Eagles claim five of the UAA's top 15 hitters, led by freshman shortstop Cassie Baca who sports a .435 (40 of 92) effort at the plate, good for ninth place on the league ladder.  Senior center fielder Alyssa Pollard is right behind Baca at .432 (38 of 88) while sophomore first baseman Ashley Powers rounds out a trio of .400 hitters with a solid .419 batting average.  Emory has socked 37 home runs, the third-highest seasonal total in school annals, and is led in that category by freshman third baseman Lana Herrmann, whose eight round trippers leads the conference and is fourth nationally.

In the pitching department, junior Brittany File has rung up a 23-1 record, with her victory total third on the Eagles' seasonal chart and first in Division III for the 2015 campaign.  File has crafted an ERA of 1.51 over 125 innings of work and her 189 strikeouts leads all D-III hurlers.

Led by fifth-year head coach Al Thomas, NCAA Division II member Shorter University battles Emory with a 22-14 record.  This past weekend, the Hawks lost two of three games to the University of West Georgia, dropping 6-3 and 4-2 decisions on Saturday before bouncing back for an 8-0 win on Sunday.  Sophomore outfielder Niki Cook paces the team with a hitting mark of .434 (49 of 113) and has stolen 27 bases. Freshman Payton Lippert has compiled a 12-8 mark in the circle, posting an ERA of 1.73 over 125 1/3 innings of action.

Birmingham Southern holds down the No. 16 position in the NFCA Top 25 Poll (Mar. 30) and will bring a 25-6 won-lost record into an Apr. 5 twinbill against Covenant College.  The Panthers are in the midst of a six-game winning streak and are coming off a three-game sweep of Sewanee this past weekend.   As a team, BSC is hitting at a .350 clip with freshman Savannah Lee owning a .415 hitting mark at the start of the week. Junior pitcher Taylor Harkins sports a classy 14-2 ledger with an ERA of 1.36.