April 19, 2026-Emporia State finished the weekend 3-1 after a split with Missouri Western on Sunday afternoon at the Trusler Sports Complex. The Hornets won game one 5-4 and fell 12-1 in the nightcap.
 
GAME ONE
Emporia State got out to an early lead on the way to a 5-4 win in the day's first game. 
Ally Miller gave the Hornets a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI double that scored Addison Callaway. Taryn Burkhardt led off the third with a triple and came home on a sac fly by Brooke Flewelling to make it 2-0.

RBI double by Ally Miller gives @EState_Softball a 1-0 lead over @GriffonSoftball in the bottom of the second #StingersUp pic.twitter.com/SXqTsdJXLh

— ESU Athletics (@ESUSports) April 19, 2026

The Griffons got on the board in the fifth thanks to a walk, a sac bunt and an RBI single by Kalee Higdon. Emporia State answered in the bottom of the fifth when Elina Bartlett led off with a double and went to third on an infield single by Burkhardt.  Sydney Wagner drove her home with an RBI single up the middle to make it 3-1.
Western loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth after a foul out pinch hitter Lauren Newlin singled to right feld driving in two but Perine nailed Brooklyn Clark trying to go first to third to end the inning and keep the game tied at 3-3.
In the bottom of the sixth the Hornets loaded the bases on an error, a single up the middle and a bunt single. Burkhardt laid down another bunt with the bases loaded to score pinch runner Juliana De Luna and give Emporia State a 4-3 lead.  Wagner gave the Hornets an insurance run with an RBI ground out that brought home pinch runner Leslie Ramos.
Morgan Tomlinson, who started and went the first 3.0 innings, came back to the circle for Izzy Sloan to start the seventh.  A walk, a ground out and a single put runners on the corners when Luna Flores stole home to get the Griffons within a run. Tomlinson then got a pop up to end the game.
Taryn Burkhardt went three for three with a triple, an RBI and a run scored. Ally Miller and Elina Bartlett each went two for three with a double as Bartlett scored a run and Miller had an RBI. Izzy Sloan pitched the sixth and got the win while Morgan Tomlinson pitched a total of 4.0 innings allowing one run on two hits and one run for the save.
 
GAME TWO
The Griffons used a seven run sixth inning to produce a 12-1 win in the nightcap.
Western scored single runs in the first and third innings to go 2-0.  In the bottom of the third Emporia State had two on and two out with the MIAA leader in home runs Brooke Flewelling at the plate.  It appeared as if the Griffons were going to "unintentionally, intentionally" walk Flewelling but on ball three were able to pick Sydney Wagner off at first base to end the inning. In the top of the fourth MWSU scored three runs on back to back doubles by Ashlyn Finarty and Ayva McComas to go up 5-0.
Avery Brewer got the Hornets on the board with a lead off homer in the bottom of the fifth and Ally Miller followed with a single to left. Elina Bartlett then hit s scorcher back to the pitcher that Harley Pruetting caught and was able to double Miller off at first base.

Avery Brewer with a solo homer in the fifth as @EState_Softball gets on the board in game two against Missouri Western. #StingersandDingers pic.twitter.com/qj58Xzah7v

— ESU Athletics (@ESUSports) April 19, 2026

Kalee Higdon hit a homer to lead off the top of the sixth and the Griffons would eventually score seven runs on five hits and two errors to take a 12-1 lead. Flewelling hit a two out double in the bottom of the sixth but that would be it as Missouri Western picked up the 12-1 run rule win.
Flewelling was two for three with a double while Avery Brewer had a solo home run. The Hornets used four pitchers in the game and all four gave up at least one run.
 
UP NEXT
The Hornets are scheduled to play a make up double header at Central Missouri on Wednesday, April 22 in Warrensburg, Mo.