In a week of back-to-back traveling games, the Emory softball team won both its games against the Covenant College (Ga.) Lady Scots, and split the doubleheader against the Berry College (Ga.) Vikings.
The two wins against Covenant increased the Eagles’ winning streak to 13. The Lady Scots’ record fell to 9-13. Against Berry, the Eagles fell 3-1 in the opener, but bounced back in the second game to claim a 5-1 win. With the win, the Eagles moved the Viking’s record to 19-6.
The Eagles’ overall record now stands at 25-3, and they remain ranked number nine in the nation.
In the first of two games against Covenant, Emory dominated the first five innings, bringing the score to 14-0. Sophomore corner infielder Tara Fallahee’s first of three hits of the game drove in the Eagles’ first run in the top of the first. Emory put the competition to bed during the second inning when the team crossed the plate six more times. Senior outfielder Micah Scharff and sophomore outfielder Amy Wray each contributed RBI doubles, while junior infielder Hannah Sendel hit her tenth home run of the season, during the third inning.
In the last inning, freshman utility player Gracie Taber sent a single to center field, gaining an RBI as freshman utility player Janelle Turnquest scored. Sophomore outfielder Taylor Forte’s single to left-center field scored freshman second baseman Kelsey Alexander. Junior catcher Melody Carter then singled to shortstop, scoring freshman Raygan Greer.
The game ended with a season-high 19 hits that ties the program’s tenth-highest game total. Wray and Sendel both went two-for-three at the plate with three RBIs each. Junior pitcher Sydney Carpenter raised her college record to 14-0, playing three innings. Freshman Audrey Weller pitched the last two innings, striking out two of the six batters she saw.
In the second test against the Lady Scots, Emory again came out on top, posting a score of 9-1 after six innings. In the first two innings, neither team saw much action across the plate. In the top of the third, Emory exploded with five runs from a Fallahee double to right-center field, then a homer from Wray, her third of this year.
The fourth inning brought in two more runs as Sendel’s double scored Scharff, then Wray’s single scored Sendel. The top of the sixth brought in two more runs from a Fallahee homer. Covenant was finally able to put up a run in the bottom of the sixth, after a throwing error allowed sophomore Lady Scot Kaitlyn Sirmons to cross the plate, unearned.
Sophomore pitcher Brittany File raised her record to 9-2 after pitching five scoreless frames, allowing only one hit and striking out nine of 17 batters faced.
“I want to do anything I can to help the team win,” File said. “In preparation for these games I work hard and hopefully it pays off.”
In the first of two games against the Vikings on Wednesday, Emory saw its 13-game winning streak come to an end as Berry’s freshman pitcher Kassie Howard only allowed Emory three hits. The Vikings scored all three runs in the bottom of the second, while Emory’s sole run came in the top of the fourth. Wray hit her fourth home run of the year, accounting for the only run of the game. Carpenter pitched all six innings, only allowing four hits and striking out nine.
“After we lost the first game against Berry, we never gave up,” Fallahee said. “We came back and won the second game, which was important for us. That's one of the things I love about this team, we never give up, especially when things don't go our way.”
The Eagles turned it around in the next game, coming out to dominate with a 5-1 win after seven innings. Berry was first to score, recording their only run in the bottom of the first, which Emory matched in the top of the second. In the top of the fifth, Scharff’s single scored junior outfielder Alyssa Pollard. In the sixth inning, another Scharff single scored Pollard and freshman first baseman Ashley Powers. Pollard then singled in the last inning, knocking in Fallahee to win the game.
File threw all seven innings, only allowing five hits and striking out nine, raising her record on the season to 10-2. So far, File sits at seventh place in the softball program’s history with a total of 254 batters faced during her two years.
“Berry is a really tough team,” File added. “We split with them last year; we’ve always had really competitive games. While the team is disappointed that we ended our winning streak, we’re really just happy to have been able to split with such a strong team.”
On Saturday, April 4, Emory will host Birmingham-Southern College (Ala.) for a pair of games at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
No. 9-Ranked Eagles Split During Week Away
Junior infielder Hannah Sendel prepares to swing. Sendel and the Eagles continued their wining streak on Tuesday, winning both games of their doubleheader against Covenant College (Ga.). | Courtesy of Emory Athletics
