HOME OPENER
The #23 Hornets play the home opener against Lincoln on Saturday and will wrap up the weekend against Lindenwood on Sunday. With construction on Cannon Field and winter weather earlier this week, the games will be played on Thomas Field in the Trusler Sports Complex.
LAST AT BAT
The #17 Emporia State softball team pounded out 17 runs on 16 hits in a 17-4 win at St. Edward's to take the final game of a three game series in Austin, Texas.
Taylor Zordel got things started for the Hornets when she was hit by a pitch to start the game. She stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Stephanie Goodwin's sac fly. Caitlyn VanVleck walked in the number two spot and went to second and third on the plays that would score Zordel. She then scored on another wild pitch to give Emporia State a 2-0 lead.
The Hilltoppers answered with a run in the bottom of the first on an error by Laura Seeman in left field with the bases loaded. The Hornets got out of the inning with no further damage as St. Edward's left the bases loaded. Zordel led off the third with a double for the Hornets. After two outs and two hit batters Kaitlyn Caston delivered an RBI single up the middle and Danielle Sprinkle was hit by a pitch to drive in another run and give Emporia State a 4-1 lead.
A three run homer by the Hilltopper's Morgan Dufour tied the game in the bottom of the third and chased Hornet starter Kelsee Henry. Eryn Stockman came on in relief and after giving up a single to the first batter she faced, did not allow a hit the rest of the game.
The Hornets retook the lead in the top of the fourth with four runs on six hits. Seeman started things off with an infield single followed by a Zordel single. VanVleck drove in Seeman before Goodwin hit a two run double. Brenda Novelo singled in Goodwin to give the Hornets an 8-4 lead. Emporia State blew the game open in the sixth, scoring nine runs with a three run homer from Jacie Stephens and a grand slam by Caston.
Zordel was three for four with four runs scored as she reached base safely in all five plate appearances. Caston went two for five with five RBI and a run scored while Goodwin was two for four with four RBI and two runs scored. The top six batters in the Hornet line up all had at least two hits adn scored a run.
Stockman worked 4.0 innings of scoreless relief, allowing one hit to the first batter she faced, to pick up the win.
THE COACHES
Julie LeMaire is 137-48 in her fourth season at Emporia State. She has been named MIAA Coach of the Year twice in her three years with the Hornets. She is 225-124 in her seventh season as a head coach. She came to Emporia State after three years at Ft. Hays State. She is 26-16 in the post season with an 18-10 record at Emporia State.
Nichole Stacey is 61-167-1 in her sixth season at Lincoln.
Don Loberg is 238-231 in his tenth season at Lindenwood and 254-255 in his 11th season as a head coach.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 8-4 on the season and ranked #23 in this week's NFCA Division II Top 25. The Hornets are the top pitching and fielding team in the MIAA. Emporia State's three pitchers all have at least two wins and a combined ERA of 3.22 while the team has a .982 fielding percentage. Taylor Zordel is batting .500 with 15 runs, 12 stolen bases and seven RBI on the year. Stephanie Goodwin is batting .366 with five doubles, a homer and 14 RBI. Eryn Stockman is 3-3 with a 2.10 ERA, Kelsee Henry is 2-0 with a 2.41 ERA while Kaitlyn Caston is 3-1 with a 4.76 ERA in the circle.
KNOW THE FOES
Lincoln opened the season 0-5 at the Ronnie Hawkins Invitational in Arkadelphia, Ark on Feb. 6-8 and will have not played since then before taking on Washburn on Friday. Four pitchers have combined for a 15.00 ERA in their first five games.
Lindenwood is 2-10 entering their double header at Washburn on Saturday. Alexis Theis is batting .343 with two home runs and ten RBI on the season. The Lions have used six pitchers this year with Kendall Ryndak pitching a team best 30.2 innings with a 1-4 record and 5.87 ERA.
UP NEXT
The Hornets will take on Washburn in a home and home series next weekend. The teams will play an MIAA double header on Friday, March 13 in Topeka and then head to Emporia for a non-conference double header on Saturday, March 14 at Trusler.
SUCCESS IN MAY
Emporia State has played in 11 straight NCAA Tournaments and 12 overall. They have a 35-25 (.583) overall record in NCAA Tournament play. The Hornets are 20-13 in NCAA tournament elimination games all-time. Emporia State has played in ten of the last 12 MIAA Tournament championship games with eight titles. Since 2001 the Hornets are 48-14 (.789) in the MIAA Tournament play with a 47-10 (.846) record over the last 12 tournaments.
HORNET HISTORY
Emporia State has finished as the NCAA Division II National Runners-up twice, in 2006 and 2008. The Hornets have qualified for NCAA Regional play 11 straight years and 12 times in the last 19 seasons. The 11 straight years in NCAA Tournament play is the fourth longest active streak in the nation. The Hornets won the NAIA National Championship in 1983 and 1984 and won the AIAW National Championship in 1980.
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