Softball | 4/28/2012 1:37:00 AM
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ESU Game Notes |
MWSU Game Notes |
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Live Stats |
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CHAMPIONSHIP TIME
Emporia State takes on Missouri Western in the MIAA Championship Game. It is ESU's ninth tournament championship game appearance in the last ten years. It is the second time the Hornets and Griffons have met for the title with the first meeting coming in 2007.
LAST AT BAT
Jessica Gragg hit an RBI single and Tricia Vogel had a solo home run as #16 Emporia State advanced to the MIAA Tournament Championship game with a 2-0 win over Ft. Hays State. Karley Schmelzer struck out the side to start the game as she threw her third straight shut out, this one a two hitter. In the second inning, Amanda Self worked a walk and went to second on Taylor Reichard's single. Jessica Gragg the hit a shot to right center to score Self and give ESU a 1-0 lead. Schmelzer struck out the side again in the third and got the first out of the fourth before FHSU made their first threat of the day. The Tigers got two on before Schmelzer coaxed a ground out to end the inning. Tricia Vogel then took the first pitch in the bottom of the inning over the fence in left to give ESU a 2-0 lead. Schmelzer ended the game with ten strike outs while allowing two hits and one walk for her third straight shut out.
THE?COACHES
Julie LeMaire is 38-9 in her first season at Emporia State and went 20-0 in the MIAA regular season. She is 130-86 in her fourth season as a head coach. She came to ESU after three years at Ft. Hays State and took the Tigers to the MIAA Tournament Championship game last season. She is 11-6 in the MIAA Tournament with a 3-0 record at ESU. She is 3-7 against MWSU with a 2-0 record at ESU.
Jen Bagley is 377-238 in her 11th year at MWSU. She is 9-27 against ESU.
SCOUTING MISSOURI WESTERN
The Griffons are 42-10 and went 18-2 in the MIAA regular season. They won three elimination games on Saturday to advance to the championship game. MIAA Pitcher of the Year Jackie Bishop is 24-3 on the year with a 1.16 ERA and 230 strike outs. Maegan Roemmich is batting .358 with four homers and 22 RBI as she earned first-team All-MIAA honors. Keri Lorbert has a team best eight home runs and 52 RBI.
SERIES AGAINST THE GRIFFONS
ESU leads the all-time series 50-25. The Hornets have won nine of the last 12 meetings and 18 of the last 22 games between the two. They have met 12 times in the MIAA Tournament with ESU holding an 8-4 advantage, including a 4-0 win in the 2007 championship game.
LAST TIME VS. MWSU
Tricia Vogel went four for six and drove in five of Emporia State’s ten runs as the Hornets swept #9 Missouri Western 5-2 and 5-4 to take over sole possession of first place in the MIAA. Vogel gave ESU the lead for good with a three run homer from Vogel in the bottom of the third inning. Karley Schmelzer scattered nine hits over 7.0 innings, struck out seven and had one walk. MWSU got ahead early again in the nightcap taking a 2-0 lead in the third. Taylor Reichard started the Hornet come back with a lead off homer in the fifth. Vogel broke a 2-2 tie with a two RBI single and Self made it 5-2 with a sac fly. Schmelzer pitched the final .2 innings to pick up her second save of the year. Lauren Sharp allowed four runs, three of them earned on seven hits in 6.1 innings to earn her fifth win.
UP NEXT
The winner gets the MIAA's automatic bid to the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament.
