April 7, 2017 - The Emporia State softball team split with Fort Hays on Friday night, winning game one 6-0 and dropping game two 5-4 in ten innings. The Hornets are now 24-18 on the season and 9-5 in the MIAA.
GAME ONE
The Hornets plated all six of their runs in the second inning on four hits. Jacie Stephens and Katie Yoakum connected on back-to-back singles to open the inning before Hailey Cope singled through the left side to score one. A fielder's choice scored coupled with a Tiger throwing error scored Yoakum to give the Hornets a 2-0 lead. Caitlin VanVleck had a bases loaded walk to give Emporia State a 3-0 lead. A sac fly from Annie Rockley plated Katy Rae Nordman followed by a two RBI single from Sarah Glass.
Eryn Stockman pitched her 18th complete game and eighth shut out of the season, improving to 16-7. She allowed only three hits and two walks with a strikeout. Yoakum hit two for three for the Hornets while Glass had two RBI.
GAME TWO
After trailing 3-1 after the middle of the fifth inning, the Hornets scored two runs on five hits in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 3-3. VanVleck plated the two runs on a triple in the fifth. Both teams went scoreless through the next three innings before the international tie breaker, placing a runner on second to begin the inning, was applied in the tenth. The Tigers scored two runs in the tenth to take a 5-3 lead over the Hornets. Danielle Sprinkled led off with a walk in the bottom of the tenth to put two runners on and no outs, Cassidy Berry having already been placed on second. A ground out advanced the runners to second and third with just one out. Davis had a sac fly to left field to plate Berry but Sprinkle would get picked off at second to end the game 5-4.
After Holly Hinkel pitched 5.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with a walk and no strikeouts, Stockman took over. Stockman pitched the final 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on three hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Stockman fell to 16-8 on the year. Berry and Nordman each hit two for four in game two, Berry with two runs scored. VanVleck and Stephens went two for five, VanVleck leading with two RBI.
UP NEXT
Emporia State hosts Nebraska-Kearney for Senior Day on Sunday, April 8 in a double header. First pitch for game one will be at 12:00 p.m. on Turnbull Field at Trusler Sports Complex. The seniors will be recognized between games.
