March 21, 2021-Emporia State fell in a pair of two run games on Sunday to wrap up the final day of the Emporia edition of the MWSU Hy-Vee Classic at the Trusler Sports Complex. The Hornets lost to #3 Augustana 5-3 and Sioux Falls 3-1.
Augie 5, ESU 3
Augustana took advantage of a player reaching base on a strikeout and an error to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. With one out Kendall Cornick doubled to left center. Ashley Mickschl then reached first when she swung and missed a third strike that got back to the back stop, allowing Cornick to go to third. Torri Shute hit a grounder to short and
Abbey Ward's throw to second in an attempt to turn a double play was off line and everyone was safe as Cornick scored. The Vikings took a 2-0 lead in the second when Amanda Dickmeyer singled, stole second, went to third on a ground out and scored on Mary Pardo's single.
In the bottom of the third Ward tripled with two outs and
Emma Furnish hit a shot over the wall in left to tie the game at 2-2. Augie went back in front in the top of the fourth. With the bases loaded Pardo hit deep fly ball to foul territory in left that turned into a sac fly as Delaney Young tagged up and scored.
The Vikings added an insurance run in the top of the fifth when Chute reached on a fielding error at short stop and went to second on a walk. She scored on Dickmeyer's single to make it 4-2. The Hornets answered in the bottom of the inning when
Karly Johnson led off with a single, went to second on a ground out, and scored on
Kerrigan Dixon's single to right. The inning ended when Ward hit a rope back to the pitcher who was able to double pinch runner Alexi Dial off first.
Augie added another run in the top of the sixth on three straight singles with two outs. The Hornets avoided any more damage when Shepherd threw Mickschl out trying to go first to third.
Emma Furnish was one for two with a walk, a home run, two RBI and a run scored.
Josie Harrison took the loss allowing five runs, four of them earned, on ten hits in 6.0 innings with a walk and three strikeouts.
USF 3, ESU 1
Emporia State's
Sydney Righi took a three hit shutout into the seventh inning but could not hold on as Sioux Falls scored three runs in the top of the seventh for a 3-1 come from behind win.
Kerrigan Dixon manufactured her own run in the bottom of the second. She led off with a single up the middle, went third on a sac bunt by
Brittanie Shepherd, took third on a ground out to third by
Karly Johnson and scored on a wild pitch.
Righi and the Hornet defense would make that one run hold up until the seventh. Emporia State turned double plays in the third and fourth innings to erase runners. The Hornets had a chance to add to the lead in the bottom of the fifth when they got runners at second and third with two outs, but Ward's fly ball to right was held up by the 25 mph wind allowing the right fielder to make the catch and end the inning. Furnish led off the sixth with a double and with one out was able to go first to third on a ground out to second but was left stranded there.
After allowing only five hits through the first six innings, Sioux Falls finally got to Righi to start the top of the seventh. The first four Cougars all singled, two of them by bunt, and Mika Rodriguez's single to center scored two to give USF a 2-1 lead and chased Righi.
Kelsey Phillips came on in relief and gave up an RBI single to right to make it 3-1, but Furnish threw out pinch runner Kylie Madrid trying to go first and third for the first out of the inning. Phillips retired the next two batters to keep it 3-1 headed to the bottom of the seventh.
Shepherd led off with a double to bring the tying run to the plate with no outs. She went to third on a ground out but would be stranded there as the game ended.
Righi allowed three runs on nine hits in 6.0+ innings without a walk or strikeout. Seven Hornets had one hit but only had one inning with multiple hits.
Emporia State will return to MIAA play on Friday when they play host to Neb.-Kearney. First pitch of game one of the double header is set for 2:00 p.m. at the Trusler Sports Complex.
