Sweep for Emporia State Softball over Drury

March 22, 2023-Emporia State combined timely hitting with solid pitching in a double header sweep of Drury on Wednesday at the Trusler Sports Complex. The Hornets won the matinee 9-1 in five innings and held on for a 5-4 win in the nightcap.
 
GAME ONE
Emporia State used a four run third inning, highlighted by an Alexis Dial home run, to post a 9-1 run rule win in the opening game of the day.
Drury scored one in the first inning but Gracie Rabe was able to get out the inning, leaving two Panthers on base. The Hornets responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good. Two walks and a single loaded the bases before Roni Raines got ESU on the board with an RBI ground out the scored Emma Furnish.  McKensy Glass then beat out an infield single to plate Abbey Ward as the Hornets took a 2-1 lead.
After a scoreless second, the Hornets took control with a four run third inning.  Ari Cordova singled and Raine Raines walked with one out.  After a pair of stolen bases and a wild pitch put runners on second and third Glass got her second RBI of the game with a single to left field that scored Cordova.  Alexis Dial followed with her third home run of the year, this one over the wall in left, to give Emporia State a 6-1 lead.
Raines delivered a two out, two RBI single in the bottom of the fourth to give the Hornets an 8-1 lead.  Dial led off the fifth with a single and stole second.  With one out Lexi Williams walked and Dial was able to go to third on wild pitch on ball four. Furnish ended the game with a single to center that scored Dial and gave Emporia State the 9-1 run rule win.
Alexis Dial went two for three with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored while Roni Raines had three RBI and a run scored.  McKensy Glass was two for three with two RBI and a run scored.  Gracie Rabe went the distance in the circle, giving up one run on seven hits.
 
GAME TWO
Emporia State again overcame a first inning deficit and then held on for a 5-4 win in the second game.
Drury scored an unearned run in the top of the first when Reagan Hight's line drive with two outs bounced off Haley Garnett's glove at first base and allowed Rylee Kolb to score from second.  Victoria Garland homered to lead off the second inning and give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
The Hornets got on the board in the bottom of the second.  Alexis Dial led off with an infield single and stole second.  With two outs Lexi Williams walked.  Emma Furnish then singled up the middle and the ball was misplayed in center field driving in Dial and allowing Williams to score from first base and tie the game at 2-2.
The Panthers retook the lead with an RBI single from Rylee Kolb in the top of the fourth but the Hornets answered in the bottom of the inning.  McKensy Glass walked with one out and advanced to third when Williams sac bunt attempt resulted in a throwing error by the Drury catcher putting runners on the corners.  Furnish then hit a sac fly to score Glass and tie the game at 3-3.
Emporia State took the lead in the fifth when Raines walked and came home on a double by Sophia Rockhold to go up 4-3. They got an insurance run in the top of the sixth on doubles by Williams and Abbey Ward to go up 5-3 headed to the seventh inning. The Panthers scored a run in the top of the seventh and had the bases loaded with one out before Sydney Righi was able to get a pair of infield pop ups to end the game.
Emma Furnish was two for three with two RBI while Lexi Williams was one for won with a walk and two runs scored. Jayda VanAckeren pitched the first 6.0+ innings allowing four runs, three of them earned, and scattered seven hits for the win. Sydney Righi came on in the seventh to earn her second save of the year.  

The Hornets are back in action on Friday, March 24 when they play host to Central Missouri.  First pitch of the MIAA double header is set for 3:00 p.m.on Turnbull Field at the Trusler Sports Complex.