March 2, 2025 – Emporia State softball split their two games on Sunday at the Midwest Classic in Shawnee, picking up a 6-0 shutout win over Rockhurst before falling 9-1 against #5 Augustana.
Game 1 (ESU 6, RU 0)
The Hornets and Hawks settled into an early pitching duel in the first game on Sunday, as
Gracie Rabe and Rockhurst starter Madeline McCall kept both teams scoreless through the first three frames. Emporia State finally broke the deadlock in the fourth inning.
Ally Miller opened the inning with a leadoff double and was followed by a walk drawn by
Brooke Flewelling. A sacrifice bunt from
Leslie Ramos set up
Kinsey Perine to deliver a two RBI single, making the score 2-0. Perine stole second and later advanced to third on an infield single by
Haley Garnett, before she came in to score on an RBI groundout from
Sydney Wagner.
Rabe stranded a leadoff single in the top of the fifth to maintain the 3-0 lead. Following a scoreless bottom of the fifth for the Hornet offense and an scoreless top of the sixth by Rabe in the circle, Emporia State doubled their advantage with three runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Brooke Flewelling drew a leadoff walk and after a bunt single by
Leslie Ramos, came in to score on an RBI double by
Kinsey Perine.
Haley Garnett would make the score 6-0 in the next at-bat, doubling down the left field line to score both Ramos and Perine.
Gracie Rabe capped off her third complete game of the season, retiring the Hawks in order in the seventh to secure the 6-0 win for Emporia State, their seventh straight win.
Kinsey Perine drove in three runs, her second game of the weekend and third this season with multiple RBI.
Haley Garnett also drove in a pair of runs and went 2-3 in the game.
Game 2 (AU 9, ESU 1)
Emporia State was able to take an early lead against the fifth-ranked Vikings in game two, as
Taryn Burkhardt reached on a one-out single and eventually came around to score on an RBI single from
Juliana De Luna.
Augustana was able to answer back, tying the game at 1-1 in the bottom half of the first inning. The Hornets would pick up another one-out single in the second frame, this time off the bat of
Avery Brewer, but were kept off the scoreboard. In the bottom of the second, the Vikings used three hits and a Hornet error to push two runs across, giving Augustana a 3-1 advantage heading to the third.
In the third, the Hornets tallied three hits, but were eventually without a run and the Vikings continued their offense in the bottom half, scoring two more runs to take a 5-1 lead.
The score remained 5-1 until the bottom of the fifth, as Augustana put together four hits and four runs to clinch the 9-1 win over Emporia State.
Emporia State tallied eight hits, with
Taryn Burkhardt,
Mallory Moore and
Avery Brewer each having two in the game.
MIAA action begins for the Hornets in the next time out, as they traveled to the Sooner State for doubleheaders against #8 Rogers State and Northeastern State. Game one against the Hillcats on Friday, March 7 is set for 2:00 p.m.
