The Emory University softball team swept both games on Sunday against the Wittenberg Tigers and the Maryville Scots on the final day of the February Classic in Maryville, Tennessee.
The Eagles improve to 4-2 on the season after dropping both games on Saturday in the tournament. Sophomore Ella Hoyle led the team with six RBI on the day, three in each game while freshman Lexi Bach had her best outing on the mound in her young career tossing seven innings and allowing just one walk and one earned run.
Game 1: Emory 10, Wittenberg 2
The Eagles were on the hunt for a win after Saturday's doubleheader and came out swining in the first game against Wittenberg.
The dynamic duo of Hoyle and sophomore Ashley Chu got the game started with Chu notching a single and a stolen base before being brought in on a single from Hoyle. The Tigers answered with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the first after a single and a ground out brought in both runs but the Eagles were able to get out of the inning stranding two runners on the bases.
Freshman Sonia Klein recorded a walk in the top of the second before a stolen base and a wild pitch moved her to third. A single down the left field line from freshman Lillian Ware scored Klein and tied the game at two. Sophomore Mackenzie Duford continued her impressive pitching in the bottom of the second getting three quick outs to keep the game tied.
The third inning was scoreless for both teams seeing just one base runner in the bottom half of the inning. Emory exploded in the top of the fourth inning starting with a lead off homer to center field from Klein, her first of the season. Back to back singles from senior Abby Sekoff and Chu gave Emory two base runners and both were brought in on a single up the middle from senior Page Nellis. Nellis was brought in by freshman Ellie Zerr on the next at bat giving the Eagles a 6-2 lead after four innings.
The Eagles started the top of the fifth with the bases loaded thanks to errors from the Tigers' defense before a single from sophomore Isabel Cohen brought in two more runs for Emory. Later in the inning, the Eagles were able to take advantage of a passed ball from the Tigers scoring their ninth run of the game. Nellis then recorded her third RBI of the game bringing in the fourth run of the inning and the 10th run of the game. Despite a single in the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers weren't able to answer to Emory's explosive fifth inning and the Eagles took the game 10-2.
Game 2: Emory 4, Maryville 2
Emory carried their momentum from the first game right into the second matchup against the Scots.
The Eagles jumped first in the top of the first inning after a one out walk from Nellis started the inning. Hoyle notched a single through the right side to score Nellis giving Emory a 1-0 lead after the first.
Bach was pivotal on the mound for Emory allowing just two hits through the first three innings. The Eagles were able to get another base runner in the top of the fourth after a double to left field from Klein but Emory was unable to capitalize on the moment. Sekoff opened the top of the fifth with a single through the left side followed by the second double of the game from Zerr to score Sekoff giving the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
The rest of the game was held scoreless on both sides until the top of the seventh inning. A single from Ware and a walk from Chu gave Emory runners on first and second with two outs. Hoyle brought in her sixth RBI of the day with a single to left widening Emory's lead to 4-0. The Scots were able to get two runners on in the bottom of the second and both were brought in on a double to the right field gap but were unable to bring any more runs in and the Eagles took their second win of the day.
Emory will return to Cooper Field on Wednesday, February 28 to face the Bridgewater Eagles at 2:30 PM.