The Emory University softball program kept their hot streak rolling on Thursday as they won both games against the LaGrange Panthers in a doubleheader in LaGrange, Georgia.
The Eagles improve to 12-6 on the season under first-year head coach India Chiles and currently hold a four-game win streak after winning game one 19-1 and taking game two 5-2. Senior Page Nellis moves to a 12-game hitting streak after posting seven against the Panthers, five coming in game one and reaching 100 career hits. Her five hits in the game ties for second in program history in most hits in a single game.
Sophomore Ashley Chu also improves her hitting streak with 22 games dating back to last season after posting five against the Panthers. Chu also recorded her first career extra base hit with a double in the fifth inning of game one.
In the circle for the Eagles in game one was freshman Georgia Pineda who threw five innings of solid work allowing just one run and improving to 2-1 on the season after the win. The duo of freshman Lexi Bach and sophomore Isabel Cohen combined for seven innings in game two allowing just three hits and just two runs.
Game 1: Emory 19, LaGrange 1
The Eagles were on fire offensively in game one starting with a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Chu started the game with a bunt single followed by back-to-back singles from Nellis and freshman Ellie Zerr to load the bases. Freshman Grace Cooper notched a sacrifice fly to second base to score Chu followed by a single from freshman Sonia Klein to score Nellis. Sophomore Ella Hoyle ended the inning with a sac fly to score Emory's third run of the inning.
After a scoreless first inning from the Panthers, Nellis got her first RBI of the day with a double to center field giving the Eagles a 4-0 lead. Pineda was rolling through the first three innings allowing just two hits and keeping the Panthers scoreless.
Emory scored three more runs in the top of the fourth after another RBI single from Nellis started the inning. Senior Leslie Berg came into the game reaching on a fielder's choice to score Chu from third followed by the third run from Cooper on a sacrifice bunt.
The fifth inning was one to remember with the Eagles tacking on 12 runs in the inning after 10 hits and taking advantage of three errors from LaGrange's defense. Nellis had three RBI in the inning while Chu and junior Kayla Lang combined for four runs in the inning.
The Panthers were able to get their first run of the day in the bottom of the fifth but Pineda was able to get out of the inning without any more damage and secured the win for the Eagles.
Game 2: Emory 5, LaGrange 2
The Eagles started strong in game two with Chu leading off the inning with a bunt single. Nellis followed with a triple down the left field line giving Emory an early 1-0 lead. Cooper followed with a simple groundout to score Nellis before Bach came in for a quick bottom of the first inning.
The second inning was quiet for both teams before Nellis tacked on two more RBI in the top of the third inning with a double to right field. A groundout from Zerr scored another run for the Eagles helping the team to a 5-0 lead after three.
The Panthers notched a two-RBI single in the bottom of the third but Bach and Cohen were able to hold LaGrange scoreless for the remainder of the game to secure the 5-2 win.
The Eagles will return to Atlanta for a two-game series against the St. Olaf Oles with game one scheduled for Monday, March 25 at 3:30 PM at Cooper Field.