The Emory University softball program earned another conference win after walking off the Case Western Reserve University on Friday afternoon in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The No. 21 Eagles improve to 21-2 on the season and open conference play with a 7-0 record after defeating the No. 15 Spartans in the series opener. Junior Mackenzie Duford threw a complete game improving to 10-0 on the season while sophomore Grace Cooper earned the walk-off for Emory in the ninth with a double to left center.
CWRU was able to lead off the top of the first inning with a single to center field while the Eagles earned a base runner in the bottom half of the inning with a walk but both pitchers were able to get out of the bind unharmed.
The Eagles were held hitless by Spartans’ standout Lexi Miskey until the bottom of the fourth with freshman Shivani Nangia driving a two-out double to left field. In the bottom of the fifth, Emory was able to put two base runners on with two walks but CWRU was able to get out of the inning again without allowing a run.
Both teams went hit-for-hit in the next few innings to head into extras with sophomore Lillian Ware starting things off in the ninth with a single to center field. With two outs, Cooper followed with an RBI double to left center to clinch the first win of the series for the Eagles.
