April 20, 2015-Despite leads in both games the #17 Emporia State softball team was swept by Northeastern State on Monday afternoon in Tahlequah, Okla. The Hornets lost game one 3-2 and fell 2-1 in the second game. Emporia State played without normal lead off hitter Taylor Zordel on offense due to a hand injury suffered against Central Oklahoma on Sunday.
Caitlyn VanVleck moved to the lead off spot with Zordel out of the line up and led off with a double in the opener. She would go to third on a sac bunt and scored on a wild pitch to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead. Emporia State took a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Stephanie Goodwin hit her Emporia State single season record tying 20th double and scored on a Kaitlyn Caston RBI single. The RiverHawks scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the fourth off a fielder's choice and a pair of RBI singles to take the lead for good.
Goodwin was two for two with a double, a run scored and a walk while VanVleck was one for four with a double and a run scored. Caston took the loss, giving up three runs on ten hits with three strikeouts.
The Hornets took the lead in the second game when Brenda Novelo singled with one out in the second and eventually came around to score on a single by Dani Sprinkle. Eryn Stockman made that lead hold up until the fifth inning as she retired 12 of the first 13 batters she faced. Alyssa Aguilar led off the fifth for Northeastern State with a single and went to second on a sac bunt. A single by Bailey Applegate put runners on first and third. Kaliegh Hinkle laid down a bunt single that scored Aguilar to tie the score. The Hornets got a fielder's choice at second for the second out that again put runners on first and third. The RiverHawks scored the go ahead run when Jacie Stephens tried to pick Applegate off third and her throw was wild. Sprinkle doubled to lead off the seventh and put the tying run in scoring position but was left there as the Hornets suffered their season long fourth straight loss.
Sprinkle went three for three with the lone RBI for Emporia State. Stockman took the loss giving up both runs, only one of them earned, on just four hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
The Hornets will try to get back on track this weekend when they play their final four games of the regular season. Emporia State will play at Northwest Missouri on Friday in Maryville, Mo. First pitch of the double header is slated for 2:00 p.m.
NOTES
Goodwin tied Miranda Campbell's Emporia State record of 20 doubles in a season.
The Hornets have now lost five straight MIAA games, their longest conference losing streak since dropping eight straight in 2002. The four straight losses overall is the longest losing streak since falling in the final five games of 2002 as well.
