EMPORIA STATE SOFTBALL FALLS IN GAME ONE OF NCAA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST BULLDOGS

May 12, 2018- Emporia State fell 4-3 to Minnesota-Duluth in game one of the NCAA Central Region 1 Championship on Saturday.  After Minnesota-Duluth defeated Arkansas Tech earlier today, the Hornets faced the Bulldogs for their second straight game.  Emporia State scored three runs on five hits and Minnesota-Duluth scored their four runs on a pair of home runs.   
 
 The first two innings of play in the championship game had both teams getting only one baserunner on.  The Bulldogs started the game with a leadoff single in the top of the first, but the Hornets took advantage of a double play to get out of the inning.  Caitlin VanVleck hit a two-out single to right center for the Hornets in the bottom half of the second, but a foul out left her stranded at first base.    
 
The Hornets found themselves trailing for the first time in the tournament after the Bulldogs led the fourth inning off with a solo home run to center field to take a 1-0 lead.  Danielle Sprinkle came right back in the bottom half of the fourth with a home run of her own as she smacked a solo shot to center field to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Minnesota-Duluth would retake the lead in the top of the fifth after a pair of singles, followed by a three-run home run as the Hornets trailed 4-1.  VanVleck reached base for the second straight at-bat as she led the bottom half of the fifth with a single through the left side.  After Kelsey Phillips was hit by a pitch, Katy Rae Nordman drove in VanVleck with her single up the middle.  Later in the inning, Annie Rockley drew a walk to load the bases and Hailey Cope came through with a two-out single to cut the Bulldogs' lead to 4-3 after five innings.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, McKenna Davis led off the inning by reaching on an error and then advanced to second on a wild pitch.  She would get doubled up at second base after VanVleck lined out to the shortstop to halt the Hornets' rally.  Emporia State would go down one, two, three in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Bulldogs forced the winner-take-all championship game.   
 
Caitlin VanVleck went two for three at the plate with a run scored.  Danielle Sprinkle was one for three, hitting her ninth home run of the season.  Hailey Cope and Katy Rae Nordman each had a hit and an RBI in the game for the Hornets.
 
Kelsey Phillips started in the circle for Emporia State, going five innings and giving up four runs off of two home runs.  Montana Mesler pitched a clean two innings of relief to increase her scoreless streak to ten innings. 
 
The Hornets will play in a winner-take-all championship game for their second straight tournament after Central Oklahoma forced a game two in the MIAA Tournament.  Emporia State would go on to win that game by a score of 6-0. 
 
Emporia State and Minnesota-Duluth will face each other on Sunday, May 13 at 11:00 a.m. with the winner advancing to play in the Super Regional Championship against Southern Arkansas.