The Emory University softball program competed in their first NCAA Tournament game since 2019 and opened with a 6-2 defeat over the Transylvania Pioneers on Thursday afternoon in Montgomery, Alabama.

The Eagles pick up their 30^th win of the season with the victory and will face the Huntingdon Hawks on Friday morning at 11:00 AM CST in the second game of the Montgomery Regional.
 
Emory was led on Thursday by the freshman class with five of the six runs scored coming from extra base hits from the rookies.
 
The Pioneers opened the top of the first inning strong with the defense getting three quick outs but junior Mackenzie Duford was also able to get three outs in the bottom half of the inning to keep the game scoreless.
 
With one out in the top of the second, sophomore Lillian Ware earned a walk followed by an RBI double through the left side from freshman Megan Sutton to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Grace Cooper answered next with an RBI groundout to score Sutton from third for a two run lead. Duford kept Transylvania scoreless again in the bottom of the second sending the game to the third inning.
 
The Eagles struck again in the top of the fourth with Ware starting the inning with another walk and advanced to second on a single from Sutton. Cooper was then able to take advantage of an error from the Pioneers' defense to load the bases bringing freshman Shivani Nangia to the plate. Nangia answered with a two-run RBI double to the left side bringing Ware and Sutton home for a 4-0 lead. Teammate Addison Kwong followed with a bases-clearing triple giving Emory their sixth run of the game.
 
Transylvania was able to score two runs later in the bottom of the fifth inning taking advantage of an error from Emory's defense but sophomore Lexi Bach who had entered the circle in relief was able to get out of the inning without any more harm.
 
Later in the bottom of the seventh, the Pioneers were able to get two base runners on but Duford came back in to close the game and the Eagles clinched their first win of the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Eagles will face off with host Huntingdon on Friday morning at 11:00 AM CST with the winner advancing to the regional final on Saturday.