April 9, 2021-Emporia State got two solid pitching performances but could not get the bats going in a pair of losses to Central Missouri on Friday afternoon at the Trusler Sports Complex. The Hornets fell 3-0 in the matinee and 4-1 in the nightcap.
Game One
Emporia State's
Kelsey Phillips and Central Missouri's Kyleigh Lay were locked in scoreless duel through the first three innings of the Jennies 3-0 in the first game of the day.
UCM broke through with a run in the top of the fourth Ashlyn Cook single with one out and pinch hitter Abby Allnutt reached on an infield single with two outs. They each advanced on a stolen base before Brenlyn McCoy singled through the left side scoring Cook. Allnut was thrown out at the plate by
Alexis Dial to keep it a 1-0 game.
Central Missouri added another run in the top of the fifth but Emporia State's outfield arms again limited the damage. Aubrie McRoberts led off with a single and advanced to second on a sac bunt. Bailey Fowler then singled through the right side to plate McRoberts. The ball got past
Emma Furnish in right field and Fowler tried to go all the way to third but
Abbey Ward to the throw from Furnish and was able to get Fowler at third. Phillips then got out of the inning without any more damage. The Jennies added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on an RBI double by Fowler to make it 3-0.
The Hornets were held to just two hits, singles by
Gabby Biondo and
Brittanie Shepherd.
Kelsey Phillips scattered 11 hits but only gave up three runs in 7.0 innings as she fell to 7-5 on the season.
Game Two
The Hornets were held to just one hit in the night cap as the Jennies took game two 4-1.
After
Kerrigan Dixon retired Central Missouri in order in the top of the first, Emporia State struck first in the bottom of the inning.
Gabby Biondo led off with a single and with one out stole second and went to third when the ball got away from the shortstop. After a
Roni Raines walk, Dixon helped herself with an RBI ground out to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead.
The Jennies tied the game in the top of the second on a Carson Staponski RBI single. They took the lead in the top of the third. Abbey Fischer led off with a single and with one out went to third on a stolen base and an error by the shortstop when the ball got away from her. Makenzie McAtee singled her home but the Hornets turned a double play on the next batter to keep it a one run game.
Jessica Sader hit a solo homer in the top of the fourth to make it 3-1. It would stay that way until Staponski got an RBI single to the hole at deep short stop to give Central Missouri a 4-1 lead.
That would be enough as Emporia State only had two base runners over the final six innings, Raines reached on an error in the fourth and
Destiny Ojigoh was hit by a pitch in the fifth.
Kerrigan Dixon allowed four runs, three of them earned, on nine hits in 6.0 innings to take the loss.
Emporia State will be back at it on Saturday afternoon when they play host to Lincoln. Due to the threat of overnight rains, first pitch for game one of the double header has been moved back to 1:00 p.m. at the Trusler Sports Complex.
