The softball team continued their winning streak this week, run-ruling both Piedmont College and Covenant College in respective doubleheaders Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We don’t like to lose, especially if we know we can beat the team we are playing,” senior captain Jessica Boni said.

The Eagles are ranked No. 1 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 for the first time this season.

In their opening game Tuesday, Emory dominated Piedmont 12-4 in five inning, and later ended the second game 8-0 at the six-inning mark.

Emory took this momentum into their Covenant doubleheader the next day, winning the first game 11-2 in five innings, and 8-0 later in the day.

The Eagles reached 19 hits in their first game, the tenth highest total in school history.

Freshman Micah Scharff, senior Jessica Thomas, sophomore Megan Light and sophomore Claire Bailey all went 3-4 at the plate.

Boni drove in four runs in the first game, including a two-run double that ended the first affair.

Senior Bridget Holloway was the winning pitcher, striking out three players and allowing three earned runs in five innings.

Holloway won the 59th game of her career, good for second place on the Eagles’ all-time list.
Holloway has issued only one walk in her last 42 innings played.

“I feel very proud and confident in myself as well as our pitching staff,” Holloway said. “I really think our pitching is right where it needs to be and we look very strong.”

In the second game against Piedmont, Emory’s offensive put forth a strong effort.

The Eagles put up runs in four of the five innings, and came through with their pitching once again thanks to sophomore Amanda Kardys.

Kardys pitched through the entire second game, and allowed only one hit.

After scoring in the bottom of the second, the Eagles scored twice more in the third inning.

Boni scored the first run, and Sullivan scored the second. Emory went on to score four more times in the fourth inning.

“We were determined to come back from that first inning and show Piedmont that they couldn’t beat us,” Boni said. “When they score first it is like they are telling us they think they can keep up with us, and it is our job to show them they can’t.”

On Tuesday, the Eagles started out their first game against Covenant with a bang.

The team connected for 11 hits, with Boni and Light as the main contributors.

Boni went 2-for-2, scoring two RBI’s and two runs. Light scored two runs as well and one RBI.

The Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first inning, and shortly thereafter extended it to 8-0.

Light, Boni, Scharff, Bailey and freshman Moira Sullivan all came through with RBI singles.

The game ended after five innings, with the Eagles having tacked on three more runs n the meantime.

Emory’s offense was just as aggressive in the second game, taking a 4-0 lead in the first inning.

Light hit a three-run double, while Sullivan connected for a single that allowed Light to cross the plate.

Sullivan came back again in the fourth inning, scoring two of the four runs.

Holloway pitched the entire first game against Covenant College, striking out four players.
Sophomore Lena Brottman threw the first four innings of the second game, and Senior Jaclyn Jacobi pitched the final two.

“The team as a whole did amazing on defense and offense,” said Boni. “I could not ask for a better set of games.”

The games against Covenant College concluded the regular season for the Eagles.

They will find out on May 7 if they earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Because Emory is an independent school, the softball team does not earn a bid automatically for winning the conference championship.

Instead, receiving a bid depends on the team’s record in and out of the region.

“With the record we have we are very confident we will get [a bid],” Boni said. “The biggest question we have is where we will end up. The competition at the regional tournament is always intense, but I know we have the ability to go all the way.”

There are eight regions, with six teams per region. The winner of each region moves on to the College World Series.

The Eagles’ goal, according to Holloway, is to make it through regionals and go on to win the World Series.

— Contact Katherine Wilson.