ATLANTA, Ga. – The St. Olaf College softball team rallied from an early 4-0 deficit to top Emory University by a 6-4 score in nine innings in the first of two games between the two programs on Tuesday at Cooper Field.

Emory (12-9) scored four times over the first two innings before St. Olaf (5-12) rallied to send the game to extra innings after a two-run home run in the seventh inning by sophomore Amelia Christenson. After neither team scored in the eighth while playing without the international tiebreaker, the Oles scored twice in the ninth inning to snap their six-game losing skid.

St. Olaf registered 15 hits in the game – its second-highest single-game total this season – thanks to multi-hit games from fifth-year senior Tarah DeCroock, senior Annie Landon, sophomore Medora Rylee, and senior Maya Patty. Landon had the second four-hit game of her collegiate career, DeCroock had three hits and two RBI, Rylee logged her first-career three-hit performance, and Patty added two hits and a walk.

First year Roxanne Ring picked up the first victory of her collegiate career by throwing five innings of three-hit shutout relief after junior Jenna Peschel worked the first four innings. Ring walked just one batter and needed only 46 pitches to get through the five innings.

After St. Olaf left a pair of runners on base in the top of the first, Emory started the scoring in the home half of the inning on an RBI single by Ella Hoyle. Peschel avoided further damage by retiring the final three batters of the inning to leave the bases full of Eagles.

Emory extended its lead to 4-0 on a three-run home run by Travis Miller – her seventh of the season – in the second and maintained the four-run lead until the fourth. After Christenson walked and Rylee singled with two outs, Patty reached on an error by the Emory left fielder, allowing Christenson to score.

The Oles continued to chip away at the deficit in the sixth, scoring on a one-out RBI single by DeCroock. Needing two runs with just two outs remaining, Christenson belted her first-career home run to left to tie the game at 4-4 in the seventh after junior Anne Fossum reached on an infield single.

Both teams left runners in scoring position in the eighth before St. Olaf broke the deadlock in the ninth. First year Belle Schmidt drew a walk and Patty followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position for pinch-hitter Emma Simons, who brought in the winning run by reaching on an error. DeCroock got the second run of the inning home by reaching on a fielder's choice in the next at bat and Ring retired Emory in order in the ninth to seal the win.

The Oles and Eagles play the second of their two-game series on Wednesday, March 29 at 3 p.m. CDT at Cooper Field.