EMU's young softball women showed the flair for the dramatic in their season-opening doubleheader at Greensboro College Saturday afternoon.  After a late win in the first game, the Royals gave up a late rally to drop the second decision.

Eastern Mennonite continues the drive south, heading to North Myrtle Beach, S.C.  Starting Monday with games against Gettysburg and Penn State-Schuykill, the women play eight games in four days at the Fastpitch Dreams Classic.

EMU 5, Greensboro 4
Freshman shortstop Alexa Sheets (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) stepped into the box as EMU's first batter of the year and promptly cranked her first collegiate homerun.  She then shot a two-out RBI single in the second to give the women a 2-0 lead.  Transfers Payton Hill (Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) and Carli Hill (Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) each had an RBI double as EMU was up 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth.

But the Pride started their comeback with two in their half of the frame.  A two-out RBI single in the sixth allowed Greensboro to tie the score at 4-4.

Aislinn Lucas (Grottoes, Va./Fort Defiance) reached on an error to lead off the ninth and eventually scored on a two-out double from Sydney Reath (Chambersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy).  The 5-4 lead wasn't a lock, however, as GC got two runners on with just one out in the bottom of the seventh.  But a grounder to third turned into a quick double play as the Royals held on for the win.

Sheets finished 2-4 with two RBIs and a run in her first game.  Mariah Foltz (Broadway, Va./Broadway) was 2-3 with a walk and run scored.

Lauren Seale (Madison, Va./Madison County) pitched the first four innings for EMU and got a no-decision despite giving up just one earned run.  Reath allowed one run in 3.0 frames to get the win.

Greensboro 6, EMU 4
The Pride got the first lead in the second game before the Royals bumped ahead thanks to RBIs singles from Sheets and Foltz.  Greensboro tied it with a solo shot in the third, but Lucas' two-out single in the fifth put EMU back up 3-2.  Reath scored on a two-out double steal in the top of the sixth to make it 4-2.

GC then broke loose in the bottom of the inning.  A leadoff walk was followed by seven straight singles as the Pride score four times to take the lead.  The Royals kept it close by throwing out two runners, one at home and another at second.

Foltz led off the seventh with a single, but a double play ball ended the threat.

The top three batters in the order, Sheets, Carli Hill and Foltz, each had a pair of singles to pace EMU's 10-hit attack.

Seale and Reath again split pitching duties, with Reath pitching the final three to take the loss.