May 11, 2018- Emporia State secures a trip to the NCAA Central Regional Championship with a 1-0 win over Minnesota-Duluth on Friday. The Hornets advance to their first NCAA Regional Championship game since 2014 where they fell to Southeastern Oklahoma.
After a scoreless first inning, Caitlin VanVleck was able to reach base in the second on a bunt single. After a strikeout and a groundout, VanVleck would be left stranded on first base, breaking the Hornets' ten-game streak of scoring within the first two innings. The Bulldogs were able to get a runner to third base in the first and second inning, but the Hornets' defense left them both stranded to keep the Bulldogs scoreless through two innings.
In the top of the fourth, Hailey Cope led the inning off with a double to right center to give the Hornets their first extra-base hit of the tournament. After she advanced to third on a passed ball, Cope came home to score on a Danielle Sprinkle sac fly RBI to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs led off the bottom of the fourth by getting their first two batters on by way of a hit by pitch and an error. Pitcher Montana Mesler was able to get out of the jam after she fielded a grounder to get the lead runner out at third and then struck out back-to-back batters to keep the Hornets' lead at 1-0.
After a scoreless fifth and sixth inning, the Bulldogs had runners at first and second with two outs in the bottom half of the seventh. Mesler came through again, striking out the final batter of the game to secure the 1-0 shutout win for the Hornets.
Hailey Cope was one for three at the plate with a run scored and hit her 18th double of the season. Danielle Sprinkle drove in the lone RBI of the game, giving her 50 RBI on the year. Kenzie Garvin, McKenna Davis, Caitlin VanVleck, and Katy Rae Nordman each had hits in the game for the Hornets.
Montana Mesler pitched her second shutout of the season and picked up her 15th win of the season, going seven innings and giving up four hits. She used her defense and five strikeouts to strand nine Bulldog baserunners. So far, she has given up only one run through 14 innings in the NCAA Regional Tournament.
Playing in their 50th NCAA Regional game, Emporia State is now 29-21 in NCAA Regional Tournament play. It is the first time since 2008 that Emporia State has opened a regional tournament going 2-0.
Emporia State will look to capture the NCAA Central Regional Championship on Saturday, May 12. The Hornets will await to find out their opponent as the Loser's Bracket Championship is set to start at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday with the Championship game to follow at 3:30 p.m.
