Team Rebounds in Final Home Series

The Emory women’s softball seniors played their final regular season home games April 7-8. Settling for a 2-2 draw in a four-game series against Brandeis University (Mass.), Emory suffered two losses April 7, 4-1 and 5-4, but returned April 8 to take the series’ final two games 3-0 and 8-0.

The draw is identical to the result of last week’s contest against Washington University in St. Louis.

 The first inning of game one began with senior pitcher Brittany File hitting a Brandeis player with a pitch, an error that eventually cost Emory a run after two single Brandeis hits. The Eagles did not execute a run until the bottom of the fourth inning when Michael hit a single to right center and sophomore outfielder Sam Vincent followed with a single that brought Michael home.

The score remained 1-1 until the top of the eighth inning when Brandeis pulled ahead with three additional runs for a final score of 4-1. Freshman pitcher Sami Feller let two on base before being pulled for sophomore pitcher Toko Miller. However, Miller could not strand the runners, allowing Brandeis a home run that brought in the game’s final three runs.

As for the second loss, the game was closer with a final score of 5-4. The score remained 4-4 until the eighth inning when Brandeis loaded the bases and junior pitcher Audrey Weller walked a Brandeis player to result in an RBI. Emory was unable to answer in their final at bats.

“We were disappointed on Friday, but we came together in the locker room; we refocused and had a better game plan going into Saturday,” freshman utility player Jessie Michael said.

Michael said that the team was motivated by the fact that this was one of their last times to play for their departing seniors.

“We decided it was a lot about playing with a lot of heart, not being afraid, not overthinking things and playing every game like it’s our last,” Michael said.

Emory’s performance improved immensely against the same opponent for two sweeping wins April 8.

File pitched the entirety of both games Saturday. In the first game, she pitched nine strikeouts and let up only one hit in the first inning as a Brandeis player singled to right center. In the bottom of the third inning, Michael, junior infielder Janelle Turnquest and freshman first baseman Kinsey Glasgow each earned an RBI, tacking three more runs onto Emory’s scoreboard.

In Saturday’s second game, File achieved eight strikeouts. Brandeis hit more in that game than Saturday’s first but failed to execute any runs. Three of Emory’s eight runs came in the bottom of the first inning, with singles from Michael and Turnquest and a double from Glasglow.

Another great inning for the Eagles came in the bottom of the third, when Emory earned three additional runs. Glasglow hit a single, followed by another from Vincent. Freshman infielder Jessy McLean hit a fly to right field and Glasglow made it home. The big moment of the inning came when senior outfielder Taylor Forte tripled to right center to bring Vincent home. Baca followed with a double to left field and Forte scored the last of three runs for the inning.

The Eagles would finish off the last game in the bottom of the fifth with one additional run from a single by sophomore outfielder Sarah Flanders, who was brought home by a single from Forte.

The team made consistent contact with the ball Saturday as a result of a more focused mentality at the plate.

“We took out the emotional side of the game and we focused on being aggressive and taking risks,” Michael said. “We wanted to make that diving catch, make that throw to home, just get to relax and play how we know how to play.”

The Eagles will enjoy a week off before taking to the road for their final four regular season games against New York University April 21 at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. and April 22 at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

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