Emory 8, Rochester 0

Emory 8, Case Western 2

The Emory University softball team came through in the clutch on Sunday,  winning a pair of games that enabled it to bring home the 2010 University Athletic Association Tournament Championship.  The Eagles opened the day with a six-inning, 8-0 win over the University of Rochester before wrapping up the title with an 8-2 verdict over Case Western Reserve. The two victories upped the Eagles' overall record to 12-8 and closed out their UAA Tournament performance with a 6-2 slate.  The league crown is Emory's first since the 2003 campaign.

In the Rochester game, sophomore pitcher Bridget Holloway tossed a masterful two-hitter, striking out three while not allowing any walks.  Emory's offense gave Holloway plenty of support, rapping out 13 hits that included home runs by senior Caitlin Fitzgerald and sophomore Jessica Thomas.  Thomas ended the game with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate while freshman first baseman Ellen Kocoloski and senior right fielder Jenna Lamoreaux each contributed two safeties.  The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when Emory scored four runs.  Fitzgerald accounted for the Eagles' first run with a one-out solo blast.  Following a Kocoloski single, Thomas delivered a two-run shot to put the team up by a 3-0 count. Three more runs in the fifth upped the Eagles' advantage to 7-0 and they added one more in the bottom of the sixth that closed the game out.

With the opportunity to claim sole possession of first place in the league, Emory jumped on Case Western with three runs in the top of the second thanks to a three-run homer by freshman third baseman Meaghan Schultz.  Holding a 4-0 advantage, the Eagles added a pair of runs in the fifth with Thomas and freshman Megan Fouse delivering run-producing singles. Freshman Jamie Melson drew the start on the mound and picked up the win, going 5 1/3 innings while Holloway tossed the final 1 2/3 frames.  Emory outhit the Spartans by a 14-6 margin and had four players finish with two hits.

Emory returns to action on Mar. 20 when it plays a doubleheader at Spelman College.


NOTES -- Emory hit .374 (83-of-222) in the eight-game UAA Tournament while opponents hit .219 (41-of-187) ... Holloway compiled a 3-2 mark on the mound at the UAA Tournament, tossing 31 innings and striking out 25 while not surrendering any walks ... Jamie Melson finished with a 3-0 mark with a 1.81 ERA in 19 1/3 innings of work ...  Kocoloski finished the UAA Tournament with a blazing .577 batting average with 15 hits in 26 trips to the plate ... Kocoloski also finished with a team-high eight RBIs ... The Eagles outscored the opposition by a 39-16 margin ... Senior Cassie Walsh picked up a least one hit in all eight games of the UAA Tournament and now claims an 18-game hitting streak ...  Walsh finished with a .400 average (12-of-39) Jenna Lamoreaux (.429, 9-of-21) and Jessica Thomas (.423, 11-of-26) were other Emory regulars to hit .400 or better during the UAA Tournament.