March 17, 2017-After giving up three runs in the bottom of the seventh in game one, Emporia State came back with a shutout in the second game to earn a split at Newman on Friday afternoon. The Hornets fell 9-8 in the opener and won 4-0 in the nightcap.
GAME ONE
The Hornets took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Cassidy Berry reached on an error and then came home on another error by the Jets. Newman answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning for a 2-1 lead. Emporia State scored six runs in the top of the fifth inning, highlighted by a three run home run by Hailey Cope, to take a 7-2 lead. The Jets got four runs back in the bottom of the sixth when Jensen Cromer hit a two run homer followed by a bases loaded hit batter and an infield RBI single. The Hornets tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Cope singled in Sarah Glass for an 8-6 lead. In the bottom of the seventh Bayley Horsch hit an RBI single to cut the lead to one and then Erin Jankiewicz hit a pinch hit two run single for the Jets walk off win.
Cope went two for four with four RBI and a run scored while Glass was two for three with two runs scored and an RBI. Holly Hinkel took the loss, allowing nine runs on 12 hits with four walks and two strikeouts in 6.1 innings.
GAME TWO
Danielle Sprinkle got the Hornets on the board with an sac fly in the top of the third and McKenna Davis delivered a two run single to give Emporia State a 3-0 lead. It was more than enough for Eryn Stockman, who tossed a complete game, two hit shutout in the circle. Cope singled in Jacie Stephens in the top of the fourth to make it 4-0 Hornets before the Jets had a base runner. Stockman was perfect through 5.0 innings before giving up a lead off single in the bottom of the sixth. The Jets would eventually load the bases with one out on a hit batter and another single. Glass cut down a runner trying to score on a ball hit to short for the second out and then Stockman left the bases loaded by ending the inning with a strikeout. She then sat the side down in order in the bottom of the seventh for her fourth shutout of the year.
Katie Yoakum was three for four with a run scored while Stephens was two for four with a run scored. Davis went one for three with two RBI. Stockman allowed just the two hits in the sixth inning after retiring the first 15 batters to start the game, then retired five in a row to end the game. She had seven strikeouts and no walks with one hit batter in 7.0 innings.
The Hornets are off until Tuesday, March 21 when they travel to Tahlequah, Okla. to take on Northeastern State. First pitch of the MIAA double header is set for 1:00 p.m.
