By Ryan Smith
Asst. Sports Editor
The No. 2-ranked softball team dominated over the weekend at the Salute to the Troops Tournament at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., going 3-0 with a pair of wins over Rhodes and a win over Fontbonne University (Mo.). The Eagles are now 37-1 on the season.
The first game of the tournament, played against Rhodes on Saturday, was a tight, back-and-forth affair. Emory got off to a quick start in the top of the first inning on a home run by junior first baseman Megan Light, knocking in sophomore catcher Micah Scharff. Rhodes responded in the bottom of the inning, however, with three runs to take a 3-2 lead.
The Eagles struck again in the second inning with an RBI single from senior third baseman Meaghan Schultz and an RBI triple by junior center fielder Lauren Gorodetsky, claiming a 4-3 advantage.
The momentum swung once again in the bottom of the third when Rhodes countered with a four-run inning. After a scoreless fourth inning, another Light homer and a Schultz double tied up the game at 7.
Neither team could gain an advantage until the top of the eighth, when the Eagles led off with a Gorodetsky double. After a weather delay that saw the game postponed until noon the next day, a double from junior right fielder Ally Kersthold brought in the go-ahead run. Junior left-handed pitcher Amanda Kardys pitched the final inning to secure the 8-7, extra-inning win for the Eagles.
Kardys earned the win. Junior Lena Brottman had started the game for the Eagles. Kardys entered the game as a relief pitcher, and stayed in for the final five and two-thirds innings.
The Eagles' game against Fontbonne Sunday was not nearly as competitive. Emory jumped out to a commanding 5-0 lead in the top of the first on a three-run homer from freshman designated hitter Hannah Sendel and a Gorodetsky single. Fontbonne responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning, but it was all they would manage for the entire game against Kardys' strong pitching.
Three scoreless innings followed before the Eagles exploded in the bottom of the fifth. Kersthold knocked in a runner on a fielder's choice before a grand slam from Light ran the score to 11-2. Kardys did not allow a run in the bottom half of the inning, and secured the win.
The Eagles closed out the weekend Sunday with another competitive game against Rhodes. Neither team scored in the first inning, but Rhodes took the lead in the bottom of the second on a triple and sacrifice fly.
Emory cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the third when freshman left fielder Alyssa Pollard reached out a single and scored on an error. A scoreless fourth inning followed before the decisive fifth inning where the Eagles claimed a 4-2 lead that they would not surrender. Gorodetsky led offwith a single and eventually scored on an error, tying the game, while Sendel followed with a two-run homer.
The Eagles extended their lead to 7-2 in the sixth inning, when Kersthold and Light both hit home runs.
Rhodes made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh. Brottman relived Kardys and immediately got the first out before surrendering a pair of singles. An infield fly and another single scored both runners to chop the lead to 7-4, but Brottman got the final out and secured the Eagles' third victory of the afternoon.
Kardys was credited for the win in all three games and now stands at 22-1 on the season, while Light contributed four home runs over the weekend series.
Emory is now riding an 18-game winning streak. The Eagles will look to extend it on Tuesday when they face a tough test against the No. 11-ranked Piedmont College (Ga.) squad. The teams will play a doubleheader with the games set to start at 4 and 6 p.m.
– By Ryan Smith
