Emory Softball Drops NCAA Opener To Maryville College

Emory Softball Drops NCAA Opener To Maryville College

The Emory softball team received a sterling pitching performance from freshman Jacqueline Spizizen on Friday, but it wasn't enough as the Maryville College came away with a victory in an opening-round game of the NCAA D-III Atlanta Regional.  The Scots raised their overall record to 30-12 following a 1-0 decision over the Eagles who slipped to 28-11.

Spizizen allowed just four hits and fanned 12, her fourth double-figure outing in that category this season, as she and MC hurler freshman Katlyn Smith waged a pitching duel in the Atlanta heat with temperatures approaching the 90-degree mark.

The only run of the contest came off the bat of Scots' second baseman Taylor Campbell who stroked her sixth home run of the season with one out in the top of the fifth inning. Campbell collected two of MC's four hits off of Spizizen. 

Smith made that run stand up in registering her 16th win of the year against just one setback.  She allowed just two hits, with the Eagles not collecting their first hit until two out in the bottom of the sixth when sophomore Sarah Katz doubled.  Junior right fielder Sam Vincent accounted for the other hit with a two-out single the following frame but ended the game stranded.  With the setback, Spizizen's record fell to 16-6.

Emory looks to stay alive in the double-elimination tourney when it squares off against Lynchburg College (30-13) in a scheduled 1:30 start on Saturday.  The loser of that game sees its season come to an end while winner plays another elimination game against either Berry College of Maryville at 4:00 pm. Berry and Maryville play the first of the three Saturday games at 11:00 am.