April 5, 2016-The Hornet softball team almost had two dramatic come from behind wins on Tuesday, but did not get the key hit in the second game as they split with William Jewell at the Trusler Sports Complex. Emporia State won game one 5-4 in eight innings before falling 4-2 in the second game.
GAME ONE
Danielle Sprinkle drove in Caitlyn VanVleck with an RBI single to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The Cardinals answered with an unearned run in the top fo the third to tie the score and would then take the lead with another unearned run in the top of the fifth. Katie Yoakum singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth and went to second on a sac bunt by Morgan Swisher. VanVleck drove in Yoakum with a single to left, but was thrown out trying to go to third when the throw from the outfield went home. Cassidy Berry followed with a double into left center but she was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple to end the inning.
Neither team would score in the rest of regulation and with it being an non-conference game, the teams went to the international tie breaker in the eighth. Brooke Bernard doubled in Maddie Greenstreet, who started the inning on second, to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead. Bernard scored on a one out single by Morgan Olson before Eryn Stockman got out of the inning thanks to a sac bunt and a strikeout.
VanVleck was placed on third to start the home half of the eighth and went to third when Berry's chopper wasn't handled cleanly at third. Sprinkle then hit a gounder to short that Megan Barnes turned into another error and allowed VanVleck to score and pull the Hornets within 4-3. After a ground out from Harper for the first out, Sarah Glass worked a walk to load the bases. Jacie Stephens then roped a pitch to right center that scored Berry and pinch runner Holly Hinkel for the 5-4 walk off win.
GAME TWO
After scoring the game winning run in the first game as a pinch runner, Hinkel would start the second game and retired the first seven batters she faced. A bunt single by Anna Biondo broke up the no hit bid and a single to right by Barnes that Berry misplayed put runners at second and third with no outs. Madi Giles hit a sac fly to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead and Maddie Greenstreet followed with a triple that scored Barnes. Bernard then singled in Greenstreet to give William Jewell a 3-0 lead.
The Hornets were able to answer with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. VanVleck led off with a single but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double to lead off. Berry then reached on an error by Barnes at short and stole two bases to be at third with one out. Sprinkle got the Hornets on the board with a single up the middle and went to second when Harper walked. Stephens followed with a single that plated Carlie McComb, who was running for Sprinkle, but Harper was out trying to go first to third on the hit to left field.
After giving up the three runs in the third, Hinkel would retire ten of the next thirteen batters before VanVleck had a ball pop out of her glove in deep center field with one out in the seventh. After a line out Greenstreet hit a double to center that gave the Cardinals an insurance run headed to the bottom of the seventh.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh Valerie Kinney singled just over the first baseman. Yoakum hit a ground ball to short that forced out Kinney, but was she was able to beat the throw to keep the inning alive. Swisher then reached on a error by Bernard at second adn VanVleck worked a walk to lead the bases. Berry then hit a grounder to third and Biondo was able to step on the bag for the force out to end the game.
THE NUMBERS
Sprinkle was three for six with three RBI in the double header. VanVleck went four for six with two runs and and an RBI. Yoakum was three for six in the twinbill, including a three for three performance in the first game with a run scored.
Stockman got the win in the opener, going 8.0 innings and allowing four runs, only one of which was earned against her, on five hits. Hinkel took the loss in game two, giving up four runs, three earned, on seven hits in 6.2 innings.
UP NEXT
The Hornets head west for double headers at Ft. Hays State and Neb.-Kearney this weekend. First pitch in Hays on Friday is set for 4:00 p.m.
