Softball | 2/14/2014 9:01:00 PM
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Box Score vs. UCO in html
Box Score vs. MSU in html
February 14, 2014-The Emporia State softball team gave themselves a Valentine's Day sweep on Friday at the Ark.-Monticello 8-State Classic in Bentonville, Ark. The Hornets shutout #1 Central Oklahoma and won a slug fest with Minnesota State-Mankato 8-6.
Reigning AstroTurf/MIAA Pitcher of the Week Kaitlyn Caston got her first shutout of the season in a 2-0 win over Central Oklahoma in the first game of the day. Taylor Reichard gave the Hornets all the run support they would need against the defending national champions with a lead off home run in the top of the second. Taylor Zordel added an insurance run in the third when she doubled, went to third on a passed ball and scored on Stephanie Goodwin's sac bunt.
Reichard went one for three with the home run while Zordel was two for three with two doubles and reached base a third time when she was hit by a pitch. Caston scattered five singles with a walk and struckout four as she moved to 3-0 on the season.
The Hornets exploded for eight runs on 13 hits in their second game, an 8-6 win over Minnesota State. Emporia State scored first when Goodwin scored an unearned run in the top of the third. The Mavericks answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-1 lead. Hannah Weingartner doubled and came around to score a single from Zordel in the fourth to cut the lead to 4-2.
The Mavs tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth before the Hornets took the lead with five runs in the top of the fifth. Goodwin started the inning with a walk and scored on Tricia Vogel's double. Reichard plated Vogel with a double of her own to bring the Hornets within a run. Weingartner gave the Hornets the lead with a three run homer to put Emporia State ahead 7-5. Caston came on in relief of Eryn Stockman to start the fifth and retired the first eight batters she faced.
Vogel gave Emporia State an 8-5 lead with a solo home run with one out in the sixth. The Mavs got a run back in the bottom of the seventh before the game ended when the Maverick runner from second interfered with Zordel at short stop with two outs.
Weingartner was two for four with three RBI, a homer, double and two runs scored. Vogel was three for four with two RBI, a home run, double and two runs scored. Laura Seeman was four for four with a run scored and an RBI while Reichard went two for three with an RBI. The Hornets four, five and six hitters failed to reach base just one time in 12 combined plate appearences. Stockman earned her first win, giving up five runs, only two earned, in 4.0 innings while Caston allowed one run with two strike outs in 3.0 innings to pick up her first save.
Emporia State is back in action on Saturday when they play Henderson State and Southwestern Oklahoma State in Bentonville, Ark.
