The #23 Emory softball team run-ruled Brandeis Friday afternoon, beating the Judges 13-4 in a dominant start to conference play.

Senior Ella Hoyle had a career-defining day at the plate, going 2-3 and hammering in five RBI to lead Emory to their first conference win of the season. Classmate Mackenzie Duford got her fourth win of the season in the circle, throwing 3.2 innings to keep the Judges off the scoreboard.

The Eagles were hot from the start as Addison Kwong delivered a bases-loaded walk to bring Ellie Zerr in to make it 1-0. On the next at bat, Ella Hoyle smoked a grand slam to left center in increase the lead.

The Judges were held off the scoreboard again in the second prior to the Eagles breaking the game open with another five-run inning. Lillian Ware got it started in the top of the second, hitting a double to advance Zerr to make it 6-0. Allie Stevenson joined the party two at bats later, getting a bases-loaded walk of her own to increase Emory's lead to 7-0. An Ashley Chu single would give Emory their eighth run before Zoe Horning got a single of her own, plating two RBI to end the inning with a 10-0 lead.

The next one and a half innings would go scoreless before Brandeis plated their first run off a shortstop error to bring the score to 10-1.

While the Judges tried to respond, Emory stayed hot as Kwong tripled to add two more runs to the double-digit Emory score. Hoyle also plated her fifth RBI with a single to second, bringing in Kwong to make the score 13-1 going into the bottom half of the fifth.

In the final half inning, Brandeis put up three runs in a last-ditch attempt, but they couldn't catch up as Emory ran away with their first conference win of the season.

The Eagles will look to take the series as they face the Judges in a doubleheader tomorrow, with the first game starting at noon.