Softball | 4/12/2013 12:19:00 AM
BACK AGAIN
Emporia State returns to Edmond, Okla. to take on #8 Central Oklahoma to start a ten game road trip. It will be the tenth and 11th straight games between the two in Edmond. The Hornets and Bronchos met three times in the NCAA Super Regional2 tournament last season.
THE?COACH
Julie LeMaire is 68-20 in her second season at Emporia State. She was named MIAA Coach of the Year after going 20-0 in the MIAA last season, winning the regular season and tournament championships. She is 160-97 in her fifth 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 in 2011.
LAST AT BAT
Emporia State got a run rule win in game one before needing a come from behind effort in the night cap in a sweep of Missouri Southern on Saturday at the Trusler Sports Complex. Emporia State won the matinee 10-0 and took game two 8-7 after trailing by four runs going into the bottom of the fourth.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State has won 16 of their last 18 games. In the latest stats, they are ranked second in the MIAA in batting at .325 and are third in the league in pitching with a 2.52 ERA. Cacy Williams is batting a team best .430 with nine home runs and 36 RBI. Stephanie Goodwin is hitting .379 with a team best ten home runs and 34 RBI. Taylor Zordel is hitting .408 with an MIAA best 42 runs. Andrea Piezuch and Amanda Self lead the MIAA in doubles with 13 while Williams has 12 to rank third in the league. Karley Schmelzer is 19-4 with a 1.93 ERA and 124 strike outs. She leads the league in wins, complete games and shut outs.
SCOUTING THE BRONCHOS
Central Oklahoma is 27-7 overall and 11-1 in the MIAA. They have won seven straight games and 11 consecutive conference games. All-American Kacie Edwards is batting .445 with ten home runs and 37 RBI while Nicole Workman is hitting .393 with nine home runs and 41 RBI. Kalynn Schrock is 16-3 with a 1.88 ERA.
SERIES HISTORY
The Hornets lead the all-time series 20-14. The two met seven times last year, including three games in the NCAA tournament. The last nine games between the two have come in Edmond with seven of the games decided by two runs or less. ESU defeated UCO 4-3 in the 2006 Division II World Series on the way to a national runner-up finish for the Hornets.
LAST TIME VS. CENTRAL OKLA.
The #17 Hornets forced an extra game by handing second ranked Central Oklahoma their first shut out of the season, 2-0, before falling 8-6 in the South Central Regional2 final. In the first game, Karley Schmelzer tossed her ninth shut out of the year on three hits. The Hornets took the lead in the fifth when Taylor Zordel singled in pinch runner Alyssa Miller. With a 6-5 lead in the second game, Emporia State brought Schmelzer on in relief of Lauren Sharp to start the seventh. UCO got a lead off single through the left side, a single to left, and an infield single to load the bases for Kacie Edwards. She delivered with a two run single down the right field line to give the Bronchos a 7-6 lead. Brittany Weaver singled to give UCO an insurance run and the Hornets were retired in order in the bottom of the seventh to end their season.
UP NEXT
Emporia State will head over to Tahlequah, Okla. on Saturday for a double header against Northeastern State.
