April 19, 2018- Emporia State swept their third straight series picking up a pair of wins against Northwest Missouri on Thursday. The Hornets won 9-1 in five innings in the opener and 6-5 in game two to push their winning streak to seven games. The seven-game winning streak is their longest streak since they won nine in a row in 2015.
ESU 9, NWMSU 1
Emporia State was able to score nine runs on ten hits in game one. In the bottom of the first, Kenzie Garvin led the inning off with a walk and advanced to third on Annie Rockley's infield single. Hailey Cope would pick up an RBI on her groundout to second base. After Danielle Sprinkle hit a two-out double, she would come around to score when McKenna Davis reached on an error. The Hornets would have runners at second and third after Caitlin VanVleck singled through the right side. Kelsey Phillips would drive in a run with her single up the middle and VanVleck came home to score on an error to give the Hornets a 4-0 lead after one inning. In the bottom half of the third, Davis and VanVleck hit back-to-back two-out singles. Phillips would extend the Hornets' lead to 7-0 on her three-run home run to left center. The Bearcats would score a run on two hits and an error in the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the fifth, Phillips would pick up her third hit of the game with a two-out single and Katy Rae Nordman followed her with a walk. Destiny Ojigoh was able to secure the run-rule win for the Hornets on her two-out triple to score Phillips and Nordman.
Kelsey Phillips went three for three at the plate with four RBI and hit her third home run of the season. Caitlin VanVleck had two hits in the game for her 14th multi-hit game to go along with two runs scored. Destiny Ojigoh hit her first triple as a Hornet and had two RBI. Danielle Sprinkle was one for three with a double and a run scored.
Phillips improved to 7-9 on the season, winning her fifth straight decision in the circle. She pitched the full five innings, giving up five hits and striking out one.
ESU 6, NWMSU 5
In the nightcap, Emporia State would get the scoring going with two outs in the bottom of the first. Danielle Sprinkle hit her seventh home run of the year with a two-run shot to center field to give the Hornets a 2-0 lead. The Hornets were able to pick up another two runs in the bottom of the third. Kenzie Garvin reached on an error and would later score on an RBI groundout from Annie Rockley. Hailey Cope walked with two outs and would score on a Sprinkle double to left field as the Hornets pushed their lead to 4-0. The Bearcats cut the Hornets' lead to one after scoring three runs off of two home runs in the fifth inning. After the Bearcats tied the game with a solo home run in the top half of the sixth, the Hornets would break the tie in the bottom of the frame. McKenna Davis and Caitlin VanVleck hit back-to-back singles and Katy Rae Nordman followed them with a two-out single to score Davis. Cassidy Beem drove in the second run of the inning with her single to left field to make the score 6-4 in favor of the Hornets. In the top of the seventh, the Bearcats hit a two-out solo home run, but that would prove to be the final run as the Hornets secured the sweep with a 6-5 win in game two.
Danielle Sprinkle was two for three at the plate with three RBI, a double, and a home run. Katy Rae Nordman had two hits in the game with an RBI. Hailey Cope scored two runs and drew a walk in the game. Cassidy Beem and Annie Rockely each had an RBI with Rockley driving in her 21st run of the season for the Hornets.
Montana Mesler won her 10th game of the season in the circle, going the full seven innings and had six strikeouts.
The Hornets close out the regular season with Senior Day against Missouri Western on Friday, April 20. Game one of the doubleheader has a scheduled first pitch of 5:00 p.m., with game two to follow.
