April 27, 2019-In the final regular season action, Emporia State was swept by Missouri Western on Saturday in St. Joseph, Mo. The Hornets lost game one 6-2 and fell 14-3 in the second game.
Â
GAME ONE
Missouri Western scored first in the bottom of the first but the Hornets took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second. Hannah Steeby led off with a walk and went to second on Valerie Kinney's single. Cassidy Beem drove in Steeby with a single to left to tie the game. Brittanie Shepherd gave the Hornets the lead with single through the right side.Â
Western retook the lead with a four run bottom of the third. Gabi Carter led off with a double and Emma Hoffart homered to left as the Griffons took the lead for good. They would add two more runs on another double, a triple and a sac fly. They would add another run in the fourth with a Morgan Frost solo homer.
Â
GAME TWO
Emporia State got out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Kenzie Garvin led off with a single and Rachel Kauss walked before Valerie Kinney hit a two run single to center.  Missouri Western scored eight runsin the bottom of the first on six hits getting a two run double from Emma Hoffart, a two run homer from Cassidy Helshmeier and a two run single by Brea Blanton.
The Griffons added six more runs, four of them unearned, in the bottom of the second to put the game out of reach. The Hornets were able to push across a run in the fifth on an RBI single by Gabby Biondo that scored Brittanie Shepherd.
Â
The Hornets earned the six seed in the MIAA Tournament and will play Washburn in the first round. First pitch of the Tournament Turnpike Tussle is set for 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1 at the Broncho Softball Stadium in Edmond, Okla.
Â
