On the first day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Friday in Columbus, GA, the Emory University softball team split games against Randolph-Macon and Pomona-Pitzer, earning a big win against the previously unbeaten Yellow Jackets of R-MC.
The Eagles moved to 3-3 on the season as they won game one against the Yellow Jackets 6-3 before dropping their game against PPC later in the afternoon, 11-0.
Emory will play its third and fourth games of the NFCA Leadoff Classic tomorrow at 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM against MIT and Christopher Newport, respectively.
Game 1 - Emory 6, Randolph-Macon 3
In the first game of the day against R-MC, senior Mattie Ryan excelled going 2-for-2 at the plate with two runs and two RBI including a solo shot to give the Eagles their first run. Sophomore Page Nellis had a standout game as well crossing the plate twice and driving home one run on a double.
The game started a little bumpy for the Eagles, as they gave up two runs in the first three innings and had to work their way out of a bases-loaded jam twice. Ryan scored the first run of the game for Emory with a solo home run over the left field fence that gave the Eagles the juice they needed to storm back into this game in the later frames.
After holding the Yellow Jackets scoreless in the fourth, the Eagles came roaring out of the gates in the fifth. The Eagles scored a single run on three consecutive at-bats with Nellis and freshman Kayla Lang each recording an RBI thanks to their outstanding efforts.
The Eagles would give up one more run in the bottom of the fifth inning but the Yellow Jackets proved to be no match for Emory's offensive firepower. In the top of the seventh with the game still hanging in the balance, senior Megan Weisenberg smashed a triple into right field to score Ryan and officially ice the game for the Eagles giving them a 6-3 win.
Starting pitcher Natalie Swift had her best day in the circle giving up only three runs in the complete game effort and picking up her first win of the season.
Game 2 - Pomona-Pitzer 11, Emory 0
Emory was unable to keep up the good vibes from their first game of the day as Pomona-Pitzer's offense proved too much to handle for the Eagles.
Ryan took the loss for the Eagles giving up seven earned runs on nine hits from the Sagehens in 4.1 innings of work. The Sagehens scored eight runs between the third and fourth innings to put the game well out of reach for the Eagles.
Lang and Nellis each tallied two hits for the Eagles but the team was unable to string any hits together leaving them scoreless for the duration of the game.