Box Score Atlanta, GA - The Piedmont College softball team got it done with early offense at their NCAA Regional opener to earn a 6-4 victory over Lynchburg College earlier today.  The Lady Lions are the #2 seed in the Atlanta Regional starting off play the right way with a two-run win over the 3rd seeded Hornets despite a late scare in the final innings.

After a three-up, three-down top of the first courtesy of Piedmont starter Brittney Head, Piedmont quickly jumped on the board with an Olivia Duncan RBI single back up the middle as she scored teammate Abby Atkinson.  Duncan would later score a run of her own in a three-run Piedmont third as she continues to regulate at the plate in NCAA play.  

In her six games of NCAA postseason competition dating back to her freshman season in 2013, Duncan is now a ridiculous 9-for-14 with five RBIs and four runs scored as she drove in another today and also scored on that slide in the third.  Though the Lady Lions held a 1-0 lead after one, a Lynchburg homer tied it up real quick with Amber Ingram's solo shot in the top of the 2nd.

Piedmont tallied runs in all but the 4th and 6th innings as PC pushed ahead in the home half of the 2nd as Abby Smith's double to right proved fruitful with the third baseman scoring on a RBI single from Jessica Perschka, the first of three runs batted in for the young first baseman.

A three-run third opened up a 5-1 lead for Piedmont as the Lady Lions picked up singles on three of their first four at-bats in the inning to load the bases.  Duncan would cross home plate on a fielder's choice to start off the scoring just before Jessica Perschka singled in a pair to add to the lead with Laura Carter and Abby Smith scoring on the play.  

Lynchburg looked to be in dire straits after the Lady Lions' third inning surge, but responded in the 4th loading the bases with just one out and Abby Walker being called upon to pinch hit.  For a moment, Walker appeared to have made herself a hero smacking a Brittney Head pitch deep to center field.  

However, a top ten worthy over-the-shoulder catch by center fielder Laura Carter limited the damage to just a sac fly and a single run as Kayla St. John tagged and scored from third to make it now 5-2.  Another hard hit ball to center found the glove of Carter once again who made it look easy for out number three to end the threat.

After the veteran Brittney Head retired the side in order in the top of the 5th, senior Lauren Head helped her twin sister's cause in the circle when she singled in a run in the home half to make it a 6-2 game with Piedmont looking comfortable.  Abby Smith scored on the hit as she accounted for three runs scored on the afternoon. 

However, things got uncomfortable for everyone in the park in the Lynchburg 6th when the Hornet's Kayla St. John hooked a Piedmont pitch just inside the foul pole in left for a two-run homer that was as close as a call could have been.  

St. John's smash put the Hornets down just two runs late, but the Lady Lions' Brittney Head zeroed in as she has the last few weeks to turn the lights out on the #3 seed despite the scare. Head got out of a two-on, two-out jam to the finish the 6th before sitting down all three she faced in the 7th sealing the 6-4 win for Piedmont to put the Lady Lions in the winners' bracket in Atlanta.

Head tossed all seven innings allowing four runs on eight hits striking out two but not allowing a walk yet again, the 15th time she has done that in her 27 appearances on the season.  Head picks up the win to move to 21-2 in her senior season working in the circle as the Lady Lions have won the last seven games the veteran has started with her last loss coming a month ago today at Emory, the Atlanta Regional host and top seed.

Head gave up as many home runs today as she has all season as well allowing a pair of homers to the Hornets.  The ballpark at Emory has seen its fair share of home runs though as the hosting Eagles are ranked 12th in the country in home runs per game averaging right under one homer per game.

With the win that puts PC at 42-6 overall, Piedmont will now face Emory University in a matchup of nationally ranked squads tomorrow morning with the Eagles holding the poll's 15th spot and Piedmont sitting one spot ahead at #14.  Emory and Agnes Scott played in the second game of the afternoon today for the right to move on as the Eagles took a 5-1 ballgame from the Scotties.

PC got the better of the Eagles in a pair of matchups at the NCAA Regional in Salem last season, but the Eagles rolled to a doubleheader sweep of Piedmont at the end of the 2014 regular season with a 7-0 win in the opener a 2-1 win in the encore. 

The Lady Lions will kick off action tomorrow with an 11:00 am first pitch barring any changes due to weather in the Atlanta area.  Fans can follow the action with live stats or with live video provided courtesy of the Office of Sports Information at Emory University.