Softball | 4/6/2012 10:28:00 PM
Game One Box
Game Two Box
April 6, 2012-The #20 Emporia State softball team was dominant in a pair of run rule shut out wins in five innings at Missouri Southern on Friday. Karley Schmelzer tossed her MIAA record third no hitter of the season in a 12-0 win in game one and Jen Heerey tossed a one hitter in ESU's 9-0 win in game two.
Schmelzer struck out six of the first seven batters she faced while hitting the seventh as the Hornets and Lions were scoreless through the first three innings. ESU broke the scoreless string with four runs in the fourth inning. Amanda Self got things started with a single and went to third on Kendra Gifford's double. Taylor Reichard came through with an RBI single to center to give ESU the lead. After Jessica Gragg was hit by a pitch, Taylor Zordel made it 3-0 with a sac fly. Jessica Brewer ended the scoring in the fourth with a single that plated Gragg.
MSSU got their second base runner of the night on a walk sandwiched between two more Schmelzer strike outs in the bottom of the fourth. Self ended the inning by throwing out her fifth base runner in 18 attempts against her. After the first two batters were retired in the top of the fifth, ESU had eight straight batters reach base, beginning with a single from Gifford. After Reichard was hit by a pitch, Gragg hit a two run doubleand came home on Zordel's single. Andrea Piezuch singled followed by an RBI single from Brewer. Stephanie Goodwin kept the inning alive when she reached on an error by the shortstop. Brewer came home on a wild pitch and Tricia Vogel ended the scoring with a two run home run to left.
Schmelzer then retired the side in the bottom of the fifth for her third no hitter of the season to break a record she shared with ten other players. She struck out ten Lions with a walk and a hit batter and faced just one over the minimum thanks to Self throwing out a base runner for the fifth time in just 18 attempts against her this year. Brewer went four for four with two RBI and a run scored. Gragg was two for two with two runs and two RBI as five different Hornets had two RBI in the game.
ESU got on the board early in the nightcap when Self doubled in Goodwin, who had doubled herself, in the first inning. Gifford had an RBI single to make it 2-0 after half an inning. Gragg led off the second with a homer to left. Zordel followed with a single and went to third on Brewer's single - the sixth straight hit for Brewer. Goodwin then hit a zac fly to make it 4-0 going to the bottom of the second. Self walked to lead off the third and would later score on a throwing error by MSSU. After getting two outs, Gragg walked and Zordel homered to give the Hornets a 7-0 lead after three innings. ESU got their final two runs in the fifth when Self led off with a double, pinch hitter Bradie Scmelzer walked and Zordel hit an RBI triple to make it 9-0.
Jen Heerey struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth to end the game and cap a one hit shut out. She struck out eight in the game and surrendered one hit with one walk. Zordel led the Hornets at the plate, going three for three with four RBI, two runs, a triple and a homer. Self was two for two with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI.
ESU is back in action on Saturday when they travel to Pittsburg State. The Gorillas are two games behind the Hornets in the loss column at 8-2 after getting swept by Missouri Western on Friday.
