April 11, 2015-The #15 Emporia State softball team left 29 runners on base in a double header split with Neb.-Kearney on Senior Day at the Trusler Sports Complex. The Hornets won 5-1 in game one before falling 5-4 in ten innings in the second game.
The Hornets had runners in every inning of the first game, loading the bases on four different occassions in the first four innings. Brenda Novelo doubled to lead off the second inning followed by a walk to Laura Seeman and Dani Sprinkle getting hit by a pitch to load the bases. Taylor Zordel reached on a fielder's choice as Seeman was thrown out at third and Novelo scored to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead.
The Lopers got a home run from Cassie Roessing in the fourth to tie the score. With one out in the fourth Zordel singled and stole third. Sydney Owens reached on a bunt single and Stephanie Goodwin was walked to load the bases. Kaitlyn Caston lifted a fly ball to center for a sac fly to score Zordel before Owens was thrown out at third to put the Hornets back in front.
Sprinkle opend the sixth with a single and went to second when Loper third baseman Makenzi Dallas threw wildly on a fielder's choice for Zordel. Owens then laid down her third bunt single of the game to load the bases again. Stephanie Goodwin delivered a two run single to give the Hornets a 4-1 lead. After a walk to Caston loaded the bases yet again Caitlyn VanVleck grounded out to second base to plate Owens for the final run.
Owens went three for three with a run scored while Goodwin was two for two with two RBI and two walks as she extended her streak of reaching base to eight straight plate appearances. Caston picked up her 13th win of the year allowing one run on six hits with four strikeouts.
After celebrating the career of eight Hornet seniors between the games of the double header, the Lopers broke out for three runs in the top of the first inning of the second game. All three runs came with two outs and the first two reached base on a walk and a hit batter before coming home on a triple from Amanda Dunn. A single from Roessing scored Dunn and a single from Dallas and walk by Jonas leaded the bases. Eryn Stockman got a strike out to end the inning without further damage. Owens got another bunt single with one out in the first and stole second. VanVleck singled her home to get the Hornets on the board, but the Hornets inning ended when Gragg singled and the Lopers threw behind her after she rounded first base.
Erin Dwyer doubled with one out in the fourth and the Lopers loaded the bases with a walk to Katie Ruwe and a single by Dunn. Roessing then hit a sac fly allowing Dwyer to score before Ruwe was thrown out at third giving UNK a 4-1 lead. Emporia State added a run in the fifth on a sac fly by Novelo to cut the lead to 4-2. Zordel hit her first home run of the season in the sixth to pull the Hornets within a run. The Hornets tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Gragg reached on a one out single and Novelo doubled to put runners at second and third. After the runners had to hold on a ground out Sprinkle laced a single through the fight side that scored Gragg. Zordel was intentionally walked to load the bases again before Seeman flew out to send the game to extra innings.
Kelsee Henry relieved Stockman to start the sixth inning in the circle for the Hornets and did not allow a run for four innings. After each team failed to score in the eighth and ninth, the teams went to the international tie breaker in the tenth. The Lopers were able to push across a run with a sac bunt and a sac fly to go up 5-4. The Hornets got a runner to third but could not get the tying score in the bottom of the inning as they fell 5-4.
Henry got the loss despite giving up just one unearned run on three hits in 5.0 innings. Zordel and Gragg were both two for five with a run scored while Zordel had an RBI on her home run.
This was the final home games of the regular season for Emporia State. They will play their final eight games on the road beginning with a double header at Central Oklahoma on Tuesday, April 14 in Edmond, Okla. First pitch of the double header is set for 2:00 p.m.
