February 17, 2019-The Hornet softball team was swept in two games on the last day of the Alvy Early Classic in Arkadelphia, Ark. Emporia State fell 5-4 to Henderson State and 6-0 to Southern Arkansas.
The Hornets got out in front 4-0 before getting walked off 5-4 by the host Reddies in the first game of the day. Cassidy Beem and Brittanie Shepherd led off the second inning with back to back singles. After advancing on a ground out Valerie Kinney laid down a squeeze bunt to score Beem and Destiny Ojigoh plated Shepherd on a fielder's choice to give ESU a 2-0 lead. In the top of the sixth Hannah Steeby hit her third home run of the season and Beem followed with her first homer to give the Hornets a 4-0 lead. The Reddies answered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth on a two run pinch hit homer by Kaitlyn Felder and a two run, two out triple by Kailey Reese to tie the game at 4-4. Abbie Moore gave Henderson State the walk off win with a lead off home run in the bottom of the seventh.
In the second game Southern Arkansas got four unearned runs with two outs in the bottom of the third to take the early lead. The Muleriders then added solo home runs by Chelsea Fagan and Sarah Evans in the bottom of the fifth to go up 6-0. The Hornets wre held to just two hits in the game as SAU pitcher and first-team All-American struck out the first seven Hornets she faced and 14 in total.
Emporia State will wrap up their trip to Arkansas on Monday with a double header at Harding. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 11 a.m. in Searcy, Ark.
