April 20, 2018- Emporia State continued their winning streak on Senior Day with a sweep against Missouri Western at Trusler. The Hornets won their ninth straight game and fourth straight series sweep with a 2-0 win in game one and had a 9-1 run-rule win in the nightcap.
ESU 2, MWSU 0
After a scoreless first inning, Emporia State loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the second. McKenna Davis and Caitlin VanVleck had back-to-back singles, followed by a walk from Kelsey Phillips. Davis scored the first run of the game when she came home on a Cassidy Beem single to left field. Kenzie Garvin picked up the second RBI of the inning on her groundout to score VanVleck and give the Hornets a 2-0 lead. Pitcher, Kelsey Phillips, would hold the Griffons hitless in the third and fourth inning. The Hornets would get a scoring chance in the bottom half of the fifth. Annie Rockley led the inning off with a double and Hailey Cope followed her with a walk. Runners would advance to second and third in the inning, but would be left stranded as the score remained 2-0 in favor of the Hornets. In the top of the seventh, the Griffons would load the bases with two outs. Phillips was able to secure the win for the Hornets with a strike out to end the game.
Caitlin VanVleck was two for two at the plate with a run scored and a stolen base. Hailey Cope hit her 16th double of the season. Cassidy Beem and Kenzie Garvin each had an RBI in the game for the Hornets. Kelsey Phillips pushed her winning streak to six games as she improved to 8-9 on the season. She pitched her first shut out of the season, giving up three hits and striking out three.
ESU 9, MWSU 1
Emporia State scored nine runs on 11 hits in the nightcap. After the Griffons got on board with a solo home run in the top of the first, the Hornets would come right back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring five runs on five hits. Kenzie Garvin got things going with an infield single and Annie Rockley followed with a bunt single. Danielle Sprinkle brought home the Hornets first run on her double to left center. After McKenna Davis was hit by a pitch, Caitlin VanVleck singled home Rockley to give the Hornets a 2-1 lead. Destiny Ojigoh would draw a bases-loaded walk and Katy Rae Nordman drove in two more runs with her one-out single up the middle. Garvin and Rockley led the bottom of the second off with back-to-back singles for the second straight inning. After a double steal, Garvin came around to score on a Davis single that deflected off the pitcher's glove to increase the Hornets' lead to 6-1. In the bottom of the fifth, Ojigoh doubled down the right field line to score Davis who reached on an infield single. After Nordman reached on a fielder's choice, Cassidy Beem drove in two runs on her double to left center to give the Hornets the 9-1 run-rule win in game two.
Kenzie Garvin, Annie Rockley, and McKenna Davis each had two hits in the second game for the Hornets. Destiny Ojigoh and Cassidy Beem both had two RBI and a double in the game. Katy Rae Nordman picked up two RBI and had a run scored for the Hornets. Danielle Sprinkled drove in her 41st run and hit her 18th double of the season.
Montana Mesler improved to 11-12 on the season as she allowed one run on one hit over five innings. She had five strikeouts in her 17th complete game of the year.
The Hornets clinched a spot in the MIAA Tournament with their sweep on Friday. They will await their final seeding as the regular season concludes. Currently, the Hornets are eighth in the standings, but if Lindenwood loses both of their games to Central Missouri on Saturday, Emporia State would move up to the seventh seed. The tournament is set to begin on Thursday, April 26 in Oklahoma City, Okla..
