After a year's hiatus, the Emory softball team finally returned to competitive play on Thursday afternoon, opening its 2021 schedule by splitting a doubleheader at Covenant College. The Eagles rolled to a 15-4 victory in the opener before falling short, 11-6, in the nightcap.
In the first contest, the Eagles rang up 20 hits with everybody in the lineup collecting at least one saftie. Junior Mattie Ryan headlined the attack with a 5-for-5 effort at the plate, three runs scored and one RBI. Sophomore Tyler Miller collected four hits in five plate appearances and tallied three ribbies, including a two-run homer in the top of the fifth that snapped a 4-4 deadlock. Junior Krista Colussi aided in the win by hitting safely three times from her leadoff post and scoring three runs. Senior hurler Madison Schaeffer went the distance, allowing eight hits and fanning seven while issuing just one walk. The Scots got on the board first, scoring all of their runs in the second inning, highlighted by a three-run homer by Vanessa Davis. Emory responded with its own four-run outburst in the top of the third, stringing together a six-hit frame with Colussi, Ryan, Miller and senior Natalie Arreguin all picking up one RBI. In the fifth, Ryan led off with a two-bagger and scored when Miller came through with her first collegiate round tripper. After tacking up a run in the sixth, the Eagles opened the offensive floodgates in the seventh, making the most of a pair of Covenant errors and crossing the plate eight times. Left fielder Greta Wilker knocked in two runs with a single while junior Megan Weisenberg added to the explosion with a two-run double.
In the finale, Colussi spearheaded an 11-hit attack by going 3-for-3 and posting one RBI. Wesienberg collected two hits and drove in a pair while Mattie Ryan also hit safely twice. Trailing by a 3-1 count, the Eagles scored three times in their half of the fifth to claim a 4-3 advantage. Colussi opened the inning with a double and eventually came around to score as a result of a throwing error by the Scots. Later in the inning a two-out single by Weisenberg plated Tyler Miller and Ryan. However, the Emory lead was short lived as the hosts pounded out eight runs, sending a total of 12 batters to the plate, in the bottom of the inning to bolt to an 11-4 bulge. The Eagles did score twice in the sixth with Allie Moberg doubling and later crossing the plate while Wilker accounted for the other run. Freshman Mackenzie Goldstein was saddled with the loss while Lauren Kierpa pocketed the win for the Scots who raised their overall record 7-11.
Emory's next action is scheduled for Mar. 27 when it plays a twin bill at Georgia Gwinnett College.