Needing a split to secure the University Athletic Association title, the Emory softball accomplished that and more with a Sunday sweep of a doubleheader against Brandeis. The Eagles brought home the program's 12th-ever crown, topping the Judges, 3-2, in the opener before posting a five-inning, 11-3 triumph in the finale. Emory now stands 30-10 in overall action and finished UAA action with a 16-4 effort. The 20th-ranked Judges fell to 27-6-1 overall, 10-6 in the conference.
In the first contest, Emory got on the board in the first when junior Sami Feller kept up her torrid hitting pace with a two-out single that scored Sarah Katz who had doubled earlier. After evening the contest in the third, the Judges snapped the tie in the bottom of the fifth when Marley Felder socked a solo homer. But the Eagles responded with a pair of scores in the top of the sixth. Katz opened with her second safety of the contest and then moved to second after Feller singled through the right side. After a walk to Cassie Baca loaded the bases, freshman Mattie Ryan came through with a clutch one-out double to right center that pushed Katz and Feller home. The proved to be enough for senior pitcher Toko Miller who notched her ninth win of the year after throwing three innings of relief and allowing one run and one hit. Miller retired Brandeis in order the last two innings.
With the conference championship securely in its grasp, the Eagles revved up their offensive attack with 11 hits in the last game of the regular season, two apiece by Baca, junior Greta Wilker and Ryan. After seeing the Judges put up a pair of runs in the first, Wilker smashed a solo homer in the second that cut the Eagles' deficit in half. Emory took the lead for good with a four-run third inning, highlighted by a two-run single from junior Jessy McLean. Emory put further distance between the Judges the following inning scoring three more times, with Ryan delivering a two-run single that represented her 28th and 29th RBIs of the campaign. In the fifth, the Eagles added three more runs after the first two batters were retired. Baca accounted for the first two runs, tripling to right field and then scoring as a result of a throwing error. It was Baca's sixth three-bagger of the year, tying for sixth place on the school's seasonal chart. Sophomore Madison Schaefer went the distance in the circle for her 13th win in 17 decisions this season, surrendering six hits and striking out one.
Emory's victory total represents the 15th time in program history that it reached the 30-win plateau.
The Eagles now wait until May 6 to see how the postseason shapes up when the NCAA Selection Show is aired on ncaa.com starting at 1:00 pm (EDT).