The Emory University softball program dropped the series-opening doubleheader with the No. 10 ranked WashU Bears on Friday afternoon in St. Louis, Missouri.
 
The Eagles hold a 29-10 overall record and an 11-6 conference record this season with one regular season game remaining tomorrow.  
 
Game 1: WashU 4, Emory 2
 
After a quick top of the first, WashU was able to get on the board first in the bottom half of the inning following a walk and the RBI double. Pitcher Mackenzie Duford was able to get out of the inning with a strikeout to prevent another run from coming in.
 
Only two hits were allowed in the next three innings with freshmen Megan Sutton and Rylie Ballog both notching singles. The Bears earned two hits of their own in the bottom of the fifth with a single and an RBI triple to take a 2-0 lead over the Eagles after five complete innings.
 
Emory went on a scoring run in the top of the sixth with junior Ashley Chu bringing in the Eagles' first run of the game with an infield single followed by a walk and a stolen base to place two runners in scoring position. Junior Ella Hoyle added another run in the inning with a sacrifice fly to score Chu and tie the game at 2-2.
 
WashU answered again in the bottom of the sixth scoring two more runs on three hits and took advantage of an error from Emory's defense to take a 4-2 lead into the seventh. A double play ended the game for Emory in the seventh clinching the first win of the day and the UAA title for the Bears.
 
Game 2: WashU 10, Emory 0 (5 innings)
 
The game started quiet from both teams until the Bears went on a massive scoring run in the bottom of the second. WashU scored eight runs on three hits and an error to take an early 8-0 lead over the Eagles.
 
The Bears added two more runs to their tally in the bottom of the fourth for a 10-0 advantage looking to close the game in the top of the fifth. Emory recorded their second hit of the game in the top half of the fifth but were unable to make any moves to cut into the Bear's lead and fell after five innings.

The Eagles and Bears will face off in the series finale on Saturday at 4:00 PM EST and will wait until Monday, May 12 to learn their postseason fate at 11:00 AM.