The #15 Emory University softball team had a stellar opening day performance at home, sweeping the Piedmont Lions to start their season 2-0.

Game 1 – Emory 11, Piedmont 10 (8 innings)\

In a quick first inning, the Eagles got on the board early thanks to an RBI from senior Ella Hoyle that brought sophomore Megan Sutton in to bring it to 1-0 at the bottom of the first.

The Lions came out swinging at the top of the second inning as a double and a walk put them in a position to score with two runners on base, eventually responding with an RBI from Hannah Citron to tie the game 1-1.

The bottom of the second and top of the third saw great defense from both teams as they went scoreless, but the Eagles got hot in the top of the third as a double from junior Ellie Zerr brought Sutton and sophomore Shea Johnson across home plate to make it 3-1.

Junior Lily Ware kept the party going as her single to left field brought Zerr home and rookie Allie Stevenson followed suit with a sac fly that helped Hoyle find her way home to advance the Eagles to a 5-1 lead. With two outs on the board, junior Abby Wylie hit a double to center field, giving her two RBI as Ware and sophomore Shivani Nangia scored and the Eagles extended their lead to 7-1 going into the fourth inning.

With the Eagles up by six runs, the Lions began their response as a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fourth helped them close in on Emory's lead to make the score 7-3, with the Eagles going scoreless in their half of the inning.

Despite still being down by four runs, Piedmont kept slowly closing in, putting up another run in the top of the fifth to make it 7-4 as the Eagles delivered another scoreless half inning.

After a scoreless top of the sixth from the Lions, the Eagles turned up the heat once again as an RBI from senior Ashley Chu to plate Wylie and advance the score to 8-4. Grace Cooper followed to join in on the fun as she singled through to the left side, giving the junior an RBI as her classmate Johnson crossed home plate, putting the Eagles up by five going into the seventh.

In the final inning of regulation, the Lions couldn't be stopped as they put up six runs over the course of the half inning to take the lead and make it 10-9, but rookie Addison Wittman and sophomore Addison Kwong kept the Eagles hopes alive as Wittman advanced on a throwing error and Kwong scored to tie it up 10-10, sending the first game of the season into extra innings.

The top of the eighth saw no offensive action for the Lions as they hoped to skate ahead of the Eagles, but in the bottom of the inning, Emory was able to load the bases before Johnson scored the game-winning run thanks to a defensive miscue from the Lions.

Game 2: Emory 7, Piedmont 1

The Eagles scored in four of their seven trips to the plate to earn the opening day sweep as they outscored the Lions 7-1 in game two.

The first inning and a half went scoreless on both sides, but the Eagles found themselves on the board early in the bottom of the second as an RBI from Stevenson brought Kwong home to give the Eagles the first run. With two outs on the board, sophomore Marisol Gonzalez singled to help Johnson and Stevenson cross home plate to make it 3-0.

With the score 3-1 heading to the bottom of the fourth, the Eagles extended their lead to 5-1 thanks to a single from Chu that brought around Johnson and Stevenson on a pair of unearned runs.

The Lions put up yet another scoreless half inning to start the fifth, but freshman Gabriela Oceguera's single brought Nangia across home plate to make it 6-1 as the rookie got her first RBI in the blue and gold.

The Lions could not produce on offense as they delivered another scoreless half inning at the top of the sixth. In the top of the sixth, the Eagles sealed the deal as a solo home run from Ware put the Eagles up 7-1 going into what would be a failed offensive response from Piedmont to end the game, giving the Eagles the opening day sweep against the Lions.

Freshman Sydney Thune was solid in her Emory debut as she spun six-innings of one-run ball in the circle to earn her first collegiate win. Thune allowed one run on six hits while striking out four and not walking a batter.

The Eagles will be back on the field tomorrow as they head south to take on LaGrange with a doubleheader getting underway at 2:00 p.m.