February 8, 2018-Emporia State split their first two games at the Ark.-Monticello D2 Challenge in Bentonville, Ark. on Thursday. The Hornets fell to Arkansas Tech 9-5 and defeated Harding 6-4 in the nightcap.
Ark. Tech 9, Emporia State 5
The Golden Suns used a three run home run from Mackenzie Addis to take a 3-0 lead after half an inning. The Hornets answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Kenzie Garvin got things started for Emporia State with an infield single and stolen base. She went to third on Annie Rockley's single and scored on a wild pitch. Hailey Cope then doubled in Rockley before Danielle Sprinkle hit a two run homer to give the Hornets a 4-3 lead.
Ark. Tech tied the game on a pair of doubles in the second and then went up 7-4 thanks to a solo home run by Paige Mendoza and a two run shot by Janie Knowles in the third. Emporia State got a run back in the fourth as Destiny Ojigoh doubled in Val Kinney to make it 7-5.
Megan Goodknight gave the Golden Suns a 9-5 lead with a two run homer in the top of the seventh. Emporia State would load the bases in the bottom of the inning to bring the tying run to the plate but could not get a run across.
Rockley was three for four with a run scored and was the only Hornet with more than one hit. Sprinkle had two RBI on the two run homer. Montana Messler took the loss in the circle, allowing seven runs in 2.2 innings on nine hits with three strike outs and one walk. Ojigoh finished the game, surrendering two runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout.
Emporia State 6, Harding 4
The Hornets scored in the first for the seventh time in seven game in the night cap. Sprinkle doubled in Garvin for the first run and then Caitlyn VanVleck worked a base loaded walk to give Emporia State a 2-0 lead. Sprinkle got her second RBI double of the game and Kelsey Phillips helped herself out with a two run double of her own to give Emporia State a 5-0 lead after two innings.
Peyton Mills tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the top of the third to get the Bisons on the board. Katlyn Gordon led off the Harding half of the fourth with a home run and then Mills delivered an RBI single to make it 5-3. Sprinkle singled in Rockley in the bottom of the fourth to get one of the runs back and make it 6-3. Mills got another RBI single in the top of the sixth to pull the Bisons within two runs but Phillips retired the final four batters to earn the win for the Hornets.
Sprinkle was three for three with three RBI and two runs scored to lead the Hornets offense. Phillips went the distance allowing four runs on nine hits with four strike outs and four walks in the circle in addition to her two run double at the plate.
Emporia State will be back in action on Friday morning against Missouri Western in a non-conference match up at 10:00 a.m. before wrapping up the tournament against Ark.-Monticello at 12 noon in Bentonville, Ark.
