April 26, 2021-Emporia State fell to Missouri Southern in two tightly contested games in Joplin, Mo. on Monday. The Hornets lost 4-3 in the first game and 6-4 in the second.
Game 1
The Hornets jumped in front early, getting two runs in the top of the first.
Gabby Biondo led off with a single followed by
Abbey Ward and
Roni Raines both reaching on errors by the Lions at third base. With the bases loaded
Kelsey Phillips grounded into a double play that allowed Biondo to score.
Brittanie Shepherd then singled up the middle to plate Ward and give Emporia State a 2-0 lead.
Missouri Southern got on the board in the bottom of the third. Sidnie Hurst singled to start the inning and was sacrificed to second. She went to third on a single through the left side by Makaila Leonhart and scored on Josie Tofpi's infield single. Ashlynn Williams led off the bottom of the fourth with a triple and came home on Kara Amos RBI single to tie the game at 2-2. After a sac bunt moved Amos to second, Adrianna Young singled her home to give the Lions a 3-2 lead.
Emporia State would tie the game in the top of the sixth. Ward led off with a single and went to second on a sac bunt by Raines. Phillips then helped herself with an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3. In the top of the seventh
Destiny Ojigoh walked and pinch hitter
Kerrigan Dixon singled to start the inning and chase Lion starter Abby Atkin. Amos came on in relief and got a strikeout before hitting Biondo to load the bases. Ward hit a fielder's choice to short and the Lions were able to get the force out at home and Raines grounded back to the pitcher for the final out as the Hornets left the bases loaded.
Yazmin Vargas reached on a fielding error at short to open the bottom of the seventh. After she was sacrificed to second Tofpi got the walk off RBI on a base hit to center.
Ward was one for four, reached on an error and scored two runs. Phillips, Shepherd and Biondo were all one for three with Phillips and Shepherd each getting an RBI and Biondo scoring a run. Phillips went the distance for Emporia State in the circle, scattering 11 hits over 6.1 innings while giving up four runs, three of them earned.
Game 2
The two teams matched each other fun for run through the first five innings before the Lions scored two in their last at bat to get the win.
Emporia State started the scoring again with a pair of first inning runs. With one out Ward singled and stole second. Shepherd drove her in with a double to right. With two outs
Rachel Kauss singled to center to drive in Shepherd but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Missouri Southern tied the game in the bottom of the first on a two run double by Williams.
Ojigoh led off the top of the second with a walk and with one out went to second on a single up the middle by
Alexis Dial.
Emma Furnish delivered a double to right that scored Ojigoh and forced Southern into a pitching change. Amos, who finished game one for the Lions, came in and got a foul out before hitting Ward to load the bases. They would remain loaded however as Shepherd fouled out to end the inning. Back to back singles in the bottom of the inning by Adrianna Young and Hurst allowed MSSU to tie the game at 3-3 after two innings.
Neither team scored in the third or fourth. Emporia State retook the lead in the top of the fifth. With one out Ward reached on an infield single, stole second and went to third on a ground out. Raines drove her in with a single to give the Hornets a 4-3 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Southern would send six batters and have five of them reach base but only came away with one run. It started with a single by Leonhart who was erased on a fielder's choice by Tofpi. Leighton Weathers singled to move Topfi to third before Williams hit a sac fly to tie the game at 4-4. Dixon, who came on in relief of starter
Sydney Righi in the fourth, walked Amos but was able to get an inning ending ground ball fource out to end the inning.
The Hornets would load the bases in the top of the sixth on walks to Ojigoh and Dial and a single by Biondo sandwiched around two outs. Ward would fly out to left to end the inning and leave the bases loaded. In the bottom of the sixth, Hurst singled with one out and with two outs Leonhart drove her in with a single to left. Topfi followed with a singleto left before Weathers hit an RBI double that scored Leonhart with an insurance run for the final score.
Ward was one for two with a walk and a hit by pitch while scoring two runs while Shepherd went one for four with a run and an RBI. Furnish went one for three with a double and an RBI. Dixon took the loss, allowing three runs on six hits in 2.1 innings.
Emporia State will wrap up the regular season this weekend with a road trip to Oklahoma. The Hornets will start the weekend on Friday at Rogers State with first pitch of the double header set for 4:00 p.m. in Claremore, Okla.
