Atlanta, Ga. – The Millsaps Majors Softball Team finally got on the diamond and got to open their season in Atlanta at the Emory Classic. The Majors opened the season with a heartbreaking 9-8 loss in nine innings to No. 7 Emory before coming back later in the day and defeating the Lynchburg Hornets, 3-2.
 
In Game One, Emory jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings, as they were able to get to starting pitcher Emily Collins. Collins did settle down after a three run first inning and kept the Eagles to one run in the second and none in the third.
 
Meanwhile, going into the top of the fourth, the Majors were yet to come away with a hit. That changed quickly as senior Allison Tarbox led the inning off with a single followed by sophomore Allyson Christian reaching on an error. That brought up freshman Karen McWilliams as she laced a double to left field, driving in two runs and cutting the Majors deficit in half.
 
The inning didn't end there, Collins got on via an error and sophomore Logan Dukes drove in a RBI to make it 4-3 with runners on first and second. After a sacrifice bunt by senior Jade Hewitt, sophomore Caroline Thompson reached base due to a walk. After another out was recorded, junior Megan Yglesias came to the plate and gave Millsaps the lead with a two RBI single.
 
The Eagles would get the run back in the fifth to tie it at five and the two teams went to extra innings. The teams played the rule that in extra innings, a runner was automatically placed on second to start the inning.

McWilliams put down a sacrifice bunt to start the innings and Collins came through with a RBI single to put Millsaps on top. Dukes then reached on a error followed by a single by Hewitt to load them up. This time Thompson came through with a single to make it 7-5. However, the Eagles got the run back with one swing of the bat in the next inning as a home run tied it back at seven.
 
The Majors again scored in the ninth as McWilliams came through with her third RBI of the day, but Emory put two on the board in the bottom half to take the win.
 
McWilliams (2-for-4), Dukes (2-for-4), Thompson (2-for-4), and Tarbox (2-for-5) all had multi-hit games as the Majors pounded 11 hits. Collins took the loss for Millsaps (0-1).
 
In the second game, Millsaps only needed one inning as the brilliant pitching from sophomore Laurel Jones led Millsaps to a 3-2 win.
 
After falling behind 1-0, the Majors came back in the bottom of the third with RBIs from Abbie Joiner, Tarbox, and Christian to take a 3-1 lead.
 
That's all Jones needed as she pitched a complete game, giving up two runs off four hits, no walks and struck out five in her first game back after an injury made her miss half of her freshman year.
 
The Majors start the season at 1-1 for the year and are back in action tomorrow as they take on Emory and Lynchburg again. The Majors take on the Hornets first at 10:45 a.m. followed by the seventh ranked Eagles at 12:45 p.m.