Heading into the final day of the regular season, the Emory softball team finds itself in first place in the University Athletic Association following a sweep of a Saturday doubleheader at Brandeis University. The Eagles posted a five-inning, 12-3 victory in the opener before registering a 6-3 triumph in the second contest. The two wins boosted Emory's overall record to 28-10, 14-4 in the league, while the 20th-ranked Judges slipped to 27-4-1 overall, 10-4 in the UAA.
Junior Sami Feller went a combined 5-for-7 at the plate over the two contests with four runs scored and four RBIs. Senior Jenna Wilson hit safely four times in seven trips to the plate and scored three runs while senior Cassie Baca chalked up three safeties in seven at-bats, scoring four times and knocking in three runs.
The quartet of Wilson, Feller, Baca and senior outfielder Sam Vincent all registered two hits in the second game with Baca totaling three RBIs. The Eagles jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in their half of the first inning thanks to a two-out double by Baca plating Feller and Sarah Katz. A single by Feller in the fourth that allowed Wilson to cross the plate stretched Emory to a 4-0 cushion. After the Judges got on the board with a run in the bottom of the inning, they tallied two more runs in the bottom of the sixth and had runners on first and second with one out, however Emory pitcher Madison Schaefer worked out of the jam by inducing a fly out and strikeout to avert any further damage. Emory added some insurance in the top of the seventh when Baca delivered a one-out solo homer, her second of the campaign, followed by a two-out single by Vincent that scored Natalie Arreguin. Schaefer went all seven innings en route to upping her season record to 12-3 after allowing six hits and fanning six.
In the first contest, Feller collected three of the Eagles' 10 hits, scored three times and knocked in three runs via a three-run homer, her second round tripper of the season, in the top of the fifth that gave Emory an 11-3 advantage. Jenna Wilson went 2-for-3 at the plate and crossed the plate on two occasions. Wilson also etched herself in the Emory record books with her three stolen bases enabling her to move into the No. 1 position on Emory's all-time ladder with 69 in that category, bettering the previous standard of 67 held by Cassie Walsh and Lauren Gorodetsky. Freshman Mattie Ryan and Arreguin also totaled two RBIs. With Brandeis holding a 3-1 lead, Emory pushed five runs across in the top of the third, making the most of a pair of BU errors. Wilson scored twice in the frame while Ryan and Megan Weisenberg came through with RBI singles. After tacking on two more runs in its half of the fourth, the Eagles pounded out five more scores in the fifth, with senior Cassie Baca scoring on the wild pitch in addition to Feller's homer. Senior pitcher Toko Miller went all five innings in boosting her season record to 8-2, giving up seven hits and striking out one.
Emory and Brandeis close out the four-game series on Sunday with a twinbill starting at 9:00 am. If Emory splits the doubleheader it will secure the conference title, with Brandeis having to win both to capture the crown.