Senior Day Sweep For Emporia State Softball Over Newman

April 19, 2025-Emporia State swept Newman on Senior Day and in the process passed four teams in the MIAA standings. The Hornets won game one 12-4 in five innings before taking a 5-4 win game two.
 
Emporia State 12, Newman 4 (5 innings)
The Hornets had to shake off some Senior Day before settling in for a 12-4 run rule win in the matinee.
The Jets got on the board first with a two run home run by Hayley Bonython with two outs in the first inning.
Emporia State used a five run third inning to take the lead for good.  With one out Taryn Burkhardt singled and stole second.  Following a walk by Sydney Wagner, Mallory Moore singled in Burkhardt to get the Hornets on the board. An RBI ground out by Ally Miller plated Wagner to tie the game at 2-2. Back to back walks by Brooke Flewelling and Juliana De Luna loaded the bases.  Kennedy Topping doubled off the top of the fence in right center to clear the bases and give the Hornets a 5-2 lead.
Newman got one of the runs back in the top of the fourth with an unearned run with two outs when Reghann Fairbairn scored when Kayla Lopez ground ball was not handled cleanly at first base.
Emporia State put another crooked number on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth. Kinsey Perine and Burkhardt each reached on infield singles to start the inning and Perine came home on an RBI ground out by Wagner.   Moore followed with a double that plated Burkhardt before Flewelling tripled to right field to score Moore and make it 8-3.
The Jets added another run in the top of the fifth as Hayley Bonython singled in AJ Bora before the Hornets ended it early with four runs in the bottom of the fifth.  Haley Garnett doubled with one out and scored on a Perine single.  Burkhardt followed with an RBI single and was able to go all the way to third on the throw as Perine was able to score. Wagner followed with an RBI double to make it 11-4 and then went to third on a passed ball. Moore ended the game with an RBI ground out that allowed Wagner to score and involve the run rule.
Mallory Moore was three for four with three RBI, two runs scored and two doubles. Taryn Burkhardt went three for three with three runs and two stolen bases.  Gracie Rabe got the win, going 4.0 innings and allowing three runs, two of them earned, on five hits with four strikeouts and only one walk.  Jayda VanAckeren worked the final inning and allowed one run on two hits.
 
Emporia State 5, Newman 4
The Hornets scored five runs in the third and fourth innings and then held on for a 5-4 win in the nightcap.
The Jets scored an unearned run in the top of the first to again take an early lead. With two outs Hayley Bonython singled and went to second when Reghann Fairbairn reached on catcher's interference.  Tori Waggoner hit a ground ball to second that was misplayed and allowed Bonython to score to make it 1-0.
Emporia State took the lead for good in the bottom of the third.  Taryn Burkhardt led off with a single and stole second before scoring on Sydney Wagner's double. With one out Leslie Ramos singled in Wagner put the Hornets up 2-1.  Brooke Flewelling worked a walk and Juliana De Luna lined out to right to put runners on the corners.  ESU executed a delayed double steal as Ramos came home to make it 3-1.
The Jets loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fourth but Jordan Harrison was able to get Lani Dryden to fly out to left to leave the loaded. The Hornets then answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning.  Haley Garnett doubled to lead off the inning and Perine doubled her in and then went to third on an error. Burkhardt reached and Perine scored on a throwing error by the short stop to put the Hornets up 5-1.  Burkhardt then stole second and third before getting retired on a line drive double play.
Fairbairn homered to right center with one out in the top of the fifth and the Jets had two runners on but Harrison got a strikeout to end the inning and keep the Hornets ahead 5-2. Jayda VanAckeren came on in relief of Harrison to start the sixth inning and loaded the bases on a hit batter and two walks. A sac fly by Fairbairn made it 5-3 and another walk loaded the bases before VanAckeren got a fly out to end the inning.
Newman would open the top of the seventh with a double by Malie Noda followed by a single from Lauren McNaught to put runners on the corners and bring the potential go ahead runner to the plate.  Gracie Rabe relieved VanAckeren and got a ground out for the first out of the inning but allowed Noda to score to make it 5-4. Rabe then struckout AJ Borja and got Dryden to ground out to end the game.
The Hornets had four players with two hits while five players each scored a single run.  Jordan Harrison worked the first 5.0 innings allowing two runs, one of them earned while scattering six hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Rabe worked the final 1.0 inning and retired all three batters she faced to pick up her third save of the season.
 
Emporia State will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, April 26 when they travel to Washburn. First pitch of game one of the Turnpike Tussle double header is set for 1:00 p.m. at Gahnstrom Field.
 
NOTES:
With five stolen bases on the day Taryn Burkhardt moved into a tie with Taylor Zordel (39 SB in 2015) for fourth on the Emporia State single season list.  She needs one to ite Abbey Hughes (40 in 2010) for third, three to tie Hughes (42 in 2011) for second and six to tie Jessie Wiard (45 in 2008) for the school record.