PEMBROKE – All-American Jamie Johnson took a 1-1 pitch over the center field fence in the seventh inning of game one and senior Lexie Coxe capped off a four-run seventh with an RBI bunt single in game two to complete a pair of comebacks for the UNC Pembroke softball team on Thursday, as the Black & Gold stunned Emmanuel 5-4 and 6-5 at the UNCP Softball Field.

The Braves (16-8) have now won 14 of their last 17 games and improve to 7-2 this season in games decided by one run. The setbacks drop Emmanuel (7-13) to 1-10 away from home in 2018 and the Lions have lost nine of their last 11 overall. Thursday was the first ever meeting between UNCP and Emmanuel.

Johnson's walk-off home run in the opener was one of the senior's three hits, including a two-run double in the third frame. Haleigh Epperson logged a pair of hits from the leadoff spot and Alex Watkins drove in a run in a 1-for-2 effort.

Sophomore Malerie Leviner (6-3) went the distance in the circle to notch her fifth complete game of the season and posted a career-high eight strikeouts. She allowed six hits and just one earned run, while walking a single batter.

Emmanuel jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a two-run double in the first before Taylor Gerhart dropped down a squeeze bunt to plate the first UNCP run in the bottom half. The Lions picked up a single run in the third, but the Black & Gold answered with three runs on Johnson's double and Watkins' RBI single to take a 4-3 lead after three.

After a trio of scoreless innings, a costly UNCP error allowed the tying run to cross for the guests in the top of the seventh, but Johnson needed just three pitches leading off the bottom half to end the game.

Gerhart and Johnson each registered two-hit performances and drove in a run in the nightcap, while a quartet of other Braves picked up an RBI each. Johnson also drew a pair of walks to increase her Peach Belt Conference-best on-base percentage to .541. Sophomore Raygan Larson (3-3) took over in the circle in the sixth and tossed a perfect 1.1 innings on nine pitches to record the victory.

The Lions once again plated a pair of runs in the top of the first and added two more in the fourth to grab a 4-0 lead midway through game two. But Johnson launched her second home run of the day and third of the season in the third and Kaitlynn Norton ripped an RBI triple to pull the Braves within two.

After Emmanuel added an insurance run in the sixth, the Black & Gold scored four times on five hits in the seventh to walk off for the second time in as many games. Gerhart kicked off the scoring with an RBI double and came around to score on a Tatum Brummitt single. Price beat out an infield single that plated Johnson and Coxe's RBI single sent Epperson home with the winning run.

The Braves are back in action Sunday with a road twinbill against No. 2 North Georgia. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium in Dahlonega, Georgia. Saturday's originally scheduled road doubleheader at Young Harris has been pushed to Monday due to the threat of inclement weather. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at E.D. River Field on Monday.