Emory Softball Ranked No. 2 Nationally -- Plays Thursday Twinbill At Covenant College

After rolling to its second straight University Athletic Association Championship, the Emory softball team returns to action on Thursday (Mar. 17) when it plays a doubleheader against Covenant College.  Action starts at 5:00 with the twinbill being contested at Warner Park in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The Eagles of head coach Penny Siqueiros stand 22-0 and are the No. 2-ranked Division III team in this week’s National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.  Emory went on a tear at the UAA Championships in Altamonte Springs, Fla., posting an 8-0 record en route to bringing home the program’s fifth conference title.  Emory was dominant offensively, outscoring the opposition by an 84-5 margin, hitting for a .455 average and blasting 12 homers during the tournament. The offensive fireworks were led by junior Jessica Thomas who turned in a .565 hitting average with 13 hits in 23 plate appearances.  Thomas drove in 10 runs and tied for the team lead with four homers.  Freshman designated player Megan Light was a force at the plate, churning out a .565 average, going 13-for-23, while hitting four homers and registering a team-best 16 RBIs.  While the Emory bats were wearing out opposing pitchers, the Eagles’ mound corps was brilliant, compiling a team ERA of 0.85 along with 37 strikeouts in 41 innings worth of work.  Junior Bridget Holloway crafted a 4-0 record in the circle that included a pair of complete-game shutouts against Washington University.  In 20 innings of work, Holloway  recorded an ERA of 0.70 and fanned 19 opponents. Freshman Lena Brottman was unscored upon over 12 innings and came away with three wins in as many decisions. 

Emory has skyrocketed in the 2011 national rankings.  After not receiving any recognition in the NFCA Preseason Poll or the Feb. 23 Poll, Emory appeared for the first time on Mar. 20 where it was slotted 20^th.  The Eagles then jumped to 10^th in the Mar. 9 Poll before climbing to No. 2 this week.

Covenant College, led by third-year head coach Sara Russell, will meet Emory with an overall record of 4-4. In their most recent outing, the Scots dropped both games of a doubleheader to Birmingham Southern on Tuesday by 14-5 and 9-5 scores.