EMPORIA STATE SOFTBALL ENDS MANKATO CLASSIC WITH 6-5 WIN OVER LEWIS

February 9, 2020-Rachel Kauss went two for four with two doubles and two RBI as Emporia State ended the Mankato Dome Classic with a 6-5 win over Lewis on Sunday morning in Mankato, Minn.
 
Kauss got the Hornets on the board first when she doubled in Abby Ward in the top of the third inning.  She would come home on a sac fly by Brylie Bassett to give Emporia State a 2-0 lead.  The Flyers answered with one run in the bottom of the third but Hornet starter Kelsey Phillips got a strikeout with the bases loaded to avoid any further damage. A one out triple by Sara Serena followed by a double from Kristin Kavalauskas tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth.
 
The Hornets retook the lead in the top of the fifth when Kauss again doubled in Ward to make it 3-2.  Brittanie Shepherd delivered a two out single to center that plated Kauss and Hannah Steeby to give Emporia State a 5-2 lead.  A pair of sac flies in the bottom of the sixth brought the Flyers back within a run at 5-4 going to the seventh.  Steeby gave the Hornets an insurance run with a one homer in the top of the seventh that would prove to be the difference.  Kerrigan Dixon started the bottom of the seventh in the circle for the Hornets and gave up a leadoff walk to Elex Swarzentruber.  That would be the only base runner allowed in the inning, however a wild pitch, sac bunt and groundout scored a run to bring the Flyers within 6-5.  Dixon got the final out on a comebacker to the circle to end the game.
 
Kelsey Phillips got the win, scattering 11 hits over 5.0 innings and allowing four runs while Dixon picked up her first save. Kauss was two for four with two RBI, two runs and two doubles.  Shepherd also went two for two with two RBI while Ward scored two runs on one hit with two walks.  Steeby hit her second home run of the season and added a walk and a stolen base as she scored two runs.
 
The Hornets will play their first outdoor games of the season next weekend when they travel to Bentonville, Ark. to take part in the Alvy Early Memorial Classic.  They are scheduled to begin play against Quincy at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, February 14.