February 19, 2017-Emporia State capped three days in Bentonville, Ark. with a pair of walk-off wins on Sunday at the 8 States Classic Softball Tournament. The Hornets defeated Minnesota-Duluth 6-5 and #24 Mo.-St. Louis 9-7.
ESU 6, UMD 5
The Hornets fell behind the Bulldogs 3-0 after three innings in their first game of the day. UMD got one run on a singles and three walks before ESU starter Holly Hinkel got the final two outs to leave the bases loaded. The Bulldogs got a two run home run from Lauren Oberle in the top of the third to take a three run lead.
Danielle Sprinkle got the Hornets on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a lead off home run. Sarah Glass and Jacie Stephens followed with singles and advanced to second and third on stolen bases before Caitlin Van Vleck delivered a two run single to tie the game.
The Bulldogs answered with a lead off homer from Becky Smith in the top of the fifth and added another run with an Oberle RBI double in the sixth for a 5-3 lead.
Stephens hit a one out double and went to third with two outs on VanVleck's single before coming home when McKenna Davis reached on an error by the second baseman.
The Hornets held the Bulldogs scoreless in the top of the seventh and trailed 5-4 going into their last at bat. With one out Cassidy Berry reached on an error, then stole second and went to third on a passed ball. Sprinkle delivered a single to plate Berry and tie the game at 5-5. Carlie McComb pinch ran for Sprinkle and made it to third on a single by Glass and an error by the centerfielder. Stephens gave the Hornets the walk off win with a squeeze bunt to third that was able to score McComb.
Stephens went three for three with two runs scored and the game winning RBI. Sprinkle was two for four with two RBI and a run scored. Eryn Stockman worked the final 1.1 innings, allowing no runs on one hit with two strikeouts to pick up her fifth win.
ESU 9, #24 UMSL 7
After giving up a six run second inning to the #24 Tritons, the Hornets battled back and got a pinch hit grand slam home run from Annelise Rockley in the bottom of the seventh for their first win over a nationally ranked team since sweeping then #25 Northwest Missouri on April 22, 2016.
Mo.-St. Louis used two singles, a walk, a hit batter, an error and a grand slam to take a 6-0 lead in the second inning with five of the six runs being unearned. Emporia State got on the board with an unearned run of their own in the bottom of the third when VanVleck reached on an error and came home on an RBI double by Davis who was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.
Katie Yoakum walked and Katie Rae Nordman doubled to lead off the fourth for Emporia State and both came home on a Sprinkle single. McComb again ran for Sprinkle and after a passed ball scored when Stephens reached on an error. The Hornets closed to within a run in the fifth when VanVleck walked, stole second and with one out came home when Yoakum reached on another Triton error.
Alex Stupek hit a lead off home run in the seventh to give UMSL an insurance run. Trailing by two runs going into the bottom of the seventh, Davis led off with a walk and went to second on a single by Yoakum before Nordman walked to load the bases. Rockley came in to pinch hit for Berry and with a full count hit the grand slam to give Emporia State the walk off 9-7 win.
Stockman went the distance in the circle giving up seven runs but on two of them earned on seven hits while striking out three. After the shaky second she allowed only one run on three hits over her final 5.1 innings to improve to 6-4 on the season.
Emporia State will head north next weekend to play six games indoors at the Husky Dome in St. Cloud, Minn. The Hornets will take on St. Cloud State on Thursday in the first of three double headers followed on Friday with two against Sioux Falls and a twin bill on Saturday against Minn.-Duluth.
