From Emory University Athletics
The Emory softball team opened its 2017 season Saturday afternoon with a split of two home games at 3n2 Elite Invite. The No. 4-ranked Eagles posted a 6-3 triumph over Rhodes College in its first endeavor of the day before seeing Averett University register a 7-4 verdict in the finale.
Senior pitcher Brittany File went the distance in the opener, fanning nine while surrendering just two hits. Sophomore center fielder Sarah Flanders, playing in her first collegiate contest, keyed a 12-hit Emory attack by going 3-for-4 at the plate, while senior Taylor Forte, junior Ashley Powers and sophomore Lana Herrmann all hit safely twice. Forte led off the bottom of the first with a single and then scampered around to score when Flanders followed with a two-bagger.
The Eagles then put together a two-out, three-run frame in the second, with Hermann and Forte coming through with RBI doubles. After Rhodes scored three time without the benefit of a hit in the fourth, Emory responded with a pair in its half of the fifth. With Flanders on third and junior Janelle Turnquest on second, Powers came through with a two-run single that eventually closed out the game's scoring.
Averett never trailed against the Eagles, jumping out to a 3-0 advantage before Turnquest got Emory on the board when she led off the bottom of the second with a solo homer, her 16th career round tripper. After a fly out, freshman Jessy McLean accounted for the first of her two hits, when she socked a hme run. The Cougars would go on to build a 7-3 lead before Herrmann delivered a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth. Emory finished the game with 10 hits to Averett's nine safeties.