The Emory University softball team opened the new season with two wins against the LaGrange Panthers and Maryville College Scots on Saturday afternoon on the first day of the Emory Classic.
 
The Eagles are looking to capitalize this season on a 24-16 record last year with this season being the second under head coach India Chiles. The Eagles had a number of highlight moments on Saturday afternoon including a grand slam from sophomore Ellie Zerr in game one and a walk-off win in the second game against Maryville.
 
Game 1: Emory 8, LaGrange 1
 
Junior Mackenzie Duford dominated the circle in game one for the Eagles and started strong in the first inning keeping the Panthers scoreless. In the bottom of the first, junior Ashley Chu was able to reach first on a fielding error and was later brought around on a double from Zerr for Emory's first run of the game.
 
The game was scoreless again until the bottom of the third with Chu leading off the inning with a double to right field. She later stole third and scored on a throwing error helping Emory to a 2-0 lead. LaGrange scored their only run of the matchup in the top of the fourth taking advantage of two hits in the inning. Duford was able to strand two runners and get out of the jam with just one run.
 
Emory later scored their third run in the bottom of the fifth inning with Chu scoring yet another run while taking advantage of a fielding error from the Panthers. Chu later notched an RBI in the bottom of the sixth inning to help the Eagles to a 4-1 lead followed by a single from freshman Addison Kwong to load the bases. Zerr followed with a moon shot to left center field to give the Eagles an 8-1 advantage heading into the top of the seventh.
 
Duford got three quick outs in the final inning to secure the first win of the day for Emory.
 
Game 2: Emory 6, Maryville 5
 
The Eagles jumped out to an early lead in the second game in the bottom of the second inning with sophomore Grace Cooper starting the rally with a two-out single before advancing to second on an error. Fellow sophomore Lillian Ware followed with a single to score Cooper before a double from sophomore Abby Wylie brought in Ware to give Emory a 2-0 lead.
 
Sophomore Lexi Bach continued holding the Scots scoreless through the top of the fourth but Maryville went on their own scoring rally in the inning to hold a 5-2 lead. In that inning, freshman Lauryn Selvaraj came in to pitch for Bach in her first appearance of her career.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, back-to-back singles from Cooper and Ware and a hit by pitch from Wylie loaded the bases allowing a single from Chu to score two runs and cut Maryville's lead down to one run.
 
The next three innings were scoreless from both teams before a single and a double from Kwong and Zerr in the bottom of the seventh started a rally for the Eagles. Junior Ella Hoyle notched a double to left center to bring in Zerr and tie the game at five apiece. Emory was able to walk things off on a wild pitch from the Scots with sophomore Sonia Klein scoring the winning run.
 
The Eagles will continue the Emory Classic on Sunday, February 23 and will face Maryville at 10 am and LaGrange at 2 pm.