The Emory softball team opens University Athletic Association play this weekend (Mar. 24-25) when it travels to Case Western Reserve for a four-game series. The Eagles and Spartans begin action with a twinbill on Friday starting at 2:30 pm. On Saturday, the double dip will begin at noon. All four contests will be played at Mather Park on the Case Western campus.
LIVE COVERAGE
Friday's and Saturday's games at Case Western Reserve against Emory will feature live video at http://athletics.case.edu/sports/sball/live.
Live stats links will be made available on the CWRU softball schedule page at http://athletics.case.edu/sports/sball/2016-17/schedule.
LOOKING AT EMORY
Emory, ranked 23rd in this week's NCFA Top 25 Poll, heads to Case with a five-game win streak that has upped its record to 15-7. In their most recent outings, the Eagles snagged both games of a doubleheader against Maryville College on Tuesday, winning the opener by a 7-2 margin before coming away with a five-inning, 9-1 triumph in the finale, with the run total tying the squad's second-highest output of the campaign.
Emory starts the weekend hitting .328 as a team while the opposition sports a mark of. 243. The Eagles have totaled 42 extra-base hits, 31 doubles, nine home runs and two triples.
Sophomore outfielder Sam Vincent is hitting .500 with 17 hits in 34 trips to the plate, and is in the midst of a team-high five-game hitting streak. Senior left fielder Taylor Forte, a starter in all 22 outings, checks in with a .394 batting average and leads the team in hits (26), runs scored (18) and is tied for first with six stolen bases. Sophomore shortstop Cassie Baca is hitting at a .348 clip (24 of 69) and is tied with freshman Jessy McLean for the team lead with 16 RBIs. Senior pitcher Brittany File has crafted a 7-3 won-lost ledger with an ERA of 2.04 over 75 1/3 innings of work.
LOOKING AT CASE WESTERN
Led by seventh-year head coach Josie Henry, Case Western stands 7-5 through its opening 12 games of the season.
The Spartans made a successful home debut on Tuesday, taking a pair of games from Kenyon College, 6-5 and 8-0 in six innings.
Sophomore Nicole Dyer has gotten off to a hot start with a team-best .462 hitting mark (18 of 39) that includes 10 RBIs. Senior Annie Wennerberg is a dual threat as a pitcher (5-2, 1.87 ERA, 45 IP) and hitter (.300, 12 of 40, 5 2B)
THE SERIES
In a series that began in March of 1999, Emory holds an all-time record of 32-7 vs. Case Western. The teams last met at the 2016 UAA Championships with Emory winning both games, 7-5 in 10 innings and 7-2.