Softball | 5/8/2026 12:24:00 AM

Games 47
Emporia State Hornets (29-17)
vs #7 Missouri Southern Lions (46-7)
MIAA Semifinal
Friday. May 8 | 12:00 PM 
Trusler Sports Complex | Emporia, Kan.
All-Time Series: MSSU leads 49-47
Last Meeting: MSSU 4, ESU 1 3/28/2026 
Live Stats: themiaa.com/sidearmstats/softball/
Watch: The MIAA Network
Listen: KFFX 104.9FM www.kvoe.com

QUICK HITS
- Emporia State is in their 34th MIAA Tournament.
- The Hornets are 75-41 all-time in the MIAA Tournament and have won a league best nine tournament championships since 2001.
- Emporia State and Missouri Southern are meeting for the 11th time in MIAA Tournament history with the Hornets leading 6-4 all-time.
- The Hornets are hitting .316 as a team this season to rank fourth in the MIAA, while eight players are hitting at least .300 with at least 60 at bats.
- Emporia State leads the MIAA in triples with 23 on the season and ranks eighth in the nation in triples per game.
- In the circle, five different Hornets have pitched this season, with all five having started at least five games this year. 
- Emporia State went 14-7 through nonconference play, with five of their seven losses by just one run.

MEMORIES ARE MADE IN MAY 
Emporia State has advanced to the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. The Hornets have won ten MIAA Tournament Championships, most recently in 2018. This is the 11th tournament meeting between Emporia State and Missouri Southern.

LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State softball used a five-run fourth frame and a complete game shutout in the circle by Morgan Tomlinson to take down Central Missouri 7-0 in the MIAA Quarterfinals Thursday afternoon at the Trusler Sports Complex.
Emporia State's breakthrough finally came in the bottom half of the fourth, as the Hornets did their damage with two outs. With Brewer and Brynley Smith in scoring position, Elina Bartlett tripled to right field, scoring both and putting the Hornets ahead 2-0. Kinsey Perine followed with an RBI single to score Bartlett and then came around to score herself as she stole second before coming around to score on a throwing error. Two more errors by the Jennies allowed Emporia State to cap the inning with a fifth run.
Emporia State had eight hits with Avery Brewer and Elina Bartlett both tallying two of their own. Bartlett drove in three runs while Kinsey Perine and Addison Callaway each drove in one of their own. Morgan Tomlinson tossed a complete game shutout while allowing just three hits and striking out five. The outing marked Tomlinson's second career complete game and first career shutout. Her five strikeouts also set a new career high.
 
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 29-17, 14-10 in the MIAA and are 3-5 against Association teams ranked in the top 20 at the time they played. The Hornets are leading the MIAA and are ranked eighth in the nation in triples per game while ranking fourth in the conference in batting average, slugging percentage and home runs per game. Brooke Flewelling is leading the MIAA and ranked ninth in the nation in home runs per game with 16 in 45 games and is second in the league with a .777 slugging percentage. Taryn Burkhardt is second in the MIAA in stolen base percentage with 32 thefts in 34 attempts and fourth in the MIAA in triples.
The Hornets have only given up 18 home runs on the season, the best mark in the MIAA. Freshman Hannah Butterbaugh's is seventh in the Association in ERA. Izzy Sloan has recorded four saves to rank third in the MIAA and 17th in the nation. Morgan Tomlinson leads the MIAA at 1.23 in walks per seven innings while Chloe Wilson's 1.58 ranks third.
Sydney Wagner is fourth in the MIAA and ranked 35th nationally with 2.45 assists per game.

SCOUTING THE LIONS
Top seeded Missouri Southern is 46-7, 20-4 in the MIAA and are ranked #7 in the nation. They lead the MIAA and are ranked eighth in the nation with 145 stolen bases. The Lions pitching staff is fifth in the nation in WHIP, seventh in hits allowed per seven innings, eighth in strikeout to walk ratio and 11th in strikeouts per seven innings while leading the MIAA in all of those categories. Bailey Dillon is second in the MIAA and eighth in the nation in stolen bases.  Kiki Pickens was the Pitcher of the Year in the MIAA and leads the Association in WHIP and strikeouts per seven innings.

SERIES HISTORY
The Lions lead the all-time series 49-47. Emporia State leads the series in MIAA Tournament play 6-4 but they have not met in the tourney since a Southern win in 2023.  The two met in the 1996 Championship game in Shawnee, Kan. with the Hornets coming away with a 7-0 win.

LAST TIME AGAINST MISSOURI SOUTHERN
Emporia State dropped both ends of a doubleheader against #11 Missouri Southern on March 28 at the Trusler Sports Complex. 
The Hornets battled back from a six run deficit before falling 7-6 in the matinee. Kinsey Perine went two for three with three RBI and a run scored while Elina Bartlett was two for three with a triple, two RBI and a run scored. Chloe Wilson tossed 2.2 scoreless innings while Izzy Sloan allowed one run on two hits with two strikeouts in the final 2.0 innings.
Three of Emporia State's five hits went for extra bases but the Hornets could only score one run while giving up three unearned runs in a 4-1 loss in the night cap. Brynley Smith and Addison Callaway both went one for three with a double as Callaway drove in Smith. Kinsey Perine was two for three with a triple. Hannah Butterbaugh suffered the loss, as she scattered seven hits over 5.2 innings to allow four runs, only one of which was earned.

IN THE DUGOUTS
Megan Hill is 29-17 in her first season as the head coach for Emporia State. She joined the coaching staff in 2024, and went 30-15 to close out that season as acting coach while April Rosales was on maternity leave. She was 1-1 against Missouri Southern that season and 0-2 since being named head coach this season.   
Hallie Blackney is 245-137-1 in her eighth season at Missouri Southern. She is 8-9 against the Hornets, 1-0 in the MIAA Tournament.