The Emory University softball team split two more games Saturday afternoon on day two of the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, GA.
The Eagles now sit at 4-4 on the season after picking up a 4-2 win against MIT in the morning session before falling to Christopher Newport 17-9 in the afternoon.
Emory will close the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Sunday with games against Texas Lutheran and Central (IA) that will be played at 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM, respectively.
Game 1 - Emory 4, MIT 2
In the first game of the day, junior Tyler Miller was the hero for the Eagles as her one hit brought home the two runs that gave Emory their biggest lead of the day and eventually the win over MIT. Senior Megan Weisnberg had a solid game at the dish, going 2-for-2 at the plate with one run and a single RBI.
Senior Mattie Ryan pitched a complete game, giving up just two runs while striking out five to bring her season record to 3-1.
The first two innings of the game were largely uneventful for both sides but in the third inning Emory's bats heated up. Three straight singles for Weisenberg, Ryan, and freshman Kayla Lang loaded the bases early in the inning for the Eagles. Sophomore Rachel Cocolis brought the first runner home with a sacrifice fly to right to put the Eagles up one. With the bases loaded again later in the inning, Miller would crack a single that brought home both Ryan and Lang to put the Eagles up 3-0.
In the fifth inning, the Engineers put their first run up on the board but with two runners in scoring position Ryan found her way out of the inning limiting MIT to one run. Another run from the Engineers in the top of the sixth inning tightened the game up but Weisenberg stretched the lead out for the Eagles in the bottom of the sixth thanks to an RBI single that scored sophomore Natalie Swift and gave Emory the 4-2 lead and the victory.
Game 2 - Christopher Newport 17, Emory 9 (6 innings)
Despite a solid game at the plate, the Eagles were unable to withstand the barrage from Christopher Newport's offense as they finished the game with four home runs.
In what was a high scoring affair, sophomore Page Nellis had one of the top performances of the the season for the Eagles, going 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs and four RBI including a home run and a double. Lang and Miller combined for three more RBI as well as two runs scored. Swift was the starting pitcher for the Eagles and with the loss her season record moved to 1-3.
The highlight of the game for the Eagles came in the top of the fifth inning, trailing the Captains 9-5 and the bases loaded, Nellis stepped up to the plate and notched a grand slam which marked her first home run of the season and tied the game up at nine apiece. However, Christopher Newport remained unrelenting hitting two home runs of its own between the fifth and sixth inning to go up by eight runs and end the game in the sixth.