February 9, 2018- Emporia State scored 22 runs between two games to finish 3-1 at the Ark.-Monticello DII Challenge in Bentonville, Ark. The Hornets won 17-10 against Missouri Western in a nonconference game and beat the host team, Ark.-Monticello, 5-3 in the second game.
Emporia State 17, Missouri Western 10
The Hornets jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-run Hailey Cope single, followed by a single from Kelsey Phillips to bring home Cope. ESU scored another run in the second inning on an Annie Rockley sac fly that scored Kenzie Garvin. The scoring would continue in the third inning as the Hornets had four runners come across to score in the inning. Phillips picked up an RBI double and would come around to score on a Caitlin VanVleck bunt. Carlie McComb had the other two RBI in the inning on her single to right field to push the Hornets' lead to 8-0.
The Griffons got on the board in the bottom of the third with a four-run inning of their own. McKenna Davis would answer with a two-run double in the top of the fourth inning. The Hornets would add another two runs in the fifth on a Garvin bunt and a Danielle Sprinkle RBI double. The Griffons had another four-run inning in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Hornets' lead to 12-8.
After Missouri Western scored a run in the sixth, ESU broke open the game with a five-run seventh inning. Davis and VanVleck would each pick up RBI singles and Destiny Ojigoh hit her first home run as a Hornet to make the score 17-9. The Griffons would pick up a run in the bottom of the frame, but the Hornets would go on to win 17-10.
Davis went four for five with three RBI while Phillips finished two for three with two RBI and a double. Ojigoh picked up the win in the circle as she pitched 5.0 innings to go with two strikeouts. Montana Mesler pitched the final two innings in her fourth appearance of the year.
Emporia State 5, Ark.-Monticello 3
The nightcap was a pitcher's duel for the first few innings as the Hornets would go on to win 5-3 over the Blossoms. ESU continued their first inning success as Danielle Sprinkle would get an RBI double to give the Hornets an early 1-0 lead. The Hornets have scored in the first inning of every game so far this season.
Montana Mesler would give up only three hits through the first five innings as the Hornets held on to a 1-0 lead. ESU provided Mesler with some run support in the top of the sixth as Destiny Ojigoh hit a two-run double to give her five RBI on the day. The Blossoms would answer with a run in the bottom of the inning. The Hornets answered with two runs in the top of the seventh on a Hailey Cope RBI groundout and an RBI double from Valerie Kinney to give them a 5-1 lead. The Blossoms would try to rally in the bottom of the seventh by scoring two runs, but Mesler ended the game by getting a fly out to secure the Hornets' 5-3 win.
Mesler picked up her third complete game of the year as she went seven innings and struck out three. Sprinkle went two for four with two doubles and picked up another RBI to bring her season total to 12in nine games.
The Hornets are schedule to head back to Bentonville, Ark. next weekend to play in the Ark.-Monticello 9-State Classic. They open the tournament on Feb. 16 against William Jewell at 9:00 am and Upper Iowa University at 1:00 pm.
