The Emory University softball team split the day in Jackson on Friday, falling to Belhaven 9-1 in the winner's bracket before taking down Westminster 5-3 in extra innings in the elimination game to advance to Saturday's regional final.
Game 1: Belhaven 9, Emory 1 (5 innings)
After a quick showing at the plate for the Eagles, the Belhaven bats got to work early as they plated two runs against Emory's defense in the bottom of the first.
The Blazers tacked on seven more runs before Emory found their first hit in an
Ellie Zerr single to right field at the top of the fourth.
In the Emory half of the fifth, a single from senior center fielder
Ashley Chu sent pinch runner
Olivia Kohler to home plate, bringing the final score to 9-1.
Game 2: Emory 5, Westminster 3 (9 innings)
The Emory offense got to work quick as Zerr smoked a home run out to left field to score herself and
Addison Kwong, giving the Eagles the early 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
After a scoreless frame for Emory in the second, the Titans responded and plated two runs of their own to tie it a 2-2 going into the third.
The third and fourth innings went scoreless before an
Allie Stevenson double in the fifth scored Kohler to put Emory ahead 3-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Westminster tied it again as they plated a home run to make it 3-3, ultimately sending the game to extra innings as the seventh went scoreless on both sides.
With the eighth inning going scoreless, the Eagles delivered in the top of the ninth as a double from
Shivani Nangia scored
Alejandra Wittman to bring the score to 4-3. In the next at bat,
Ella Hoyle tacked another run onto the Emory lead as she scored Nangia on a single to right field to put the Eagles ahead by two going into the final frame.
The Emory defense wasted no time retiring the Westminster batters, delivering a ground out and a pair of pop ups to win and advance to tomorrow's regional final against Belhaven.
Senior pitcher
Mackenzie Duford delivered another dominant performance for the Eagles, pitching a complete game with only three runs on ten hits and spinning six strikeouts.
The Eagles will take on the Blazers tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. ET and will need to win both games to advance to the Super Regionals.
