Senior first baseman Jennifer Dace hits a single against the Fort Hays State defense Friday afternoon at Turnbull Field. The Hornets won both games of the double header, 6-0 in the first and 7-1 in the second. Kellen Jenkins/The Bulletin

In a Senior Day doubleheader against Fort Hays State, the Emporia State softball team wrapped up regular season play at home, sweeping the series 6-0 in game one and 7-1 in game two.

Prior to the game, the Preston family was recognized for the scoreboard they donated to Turnbull Field.

In game one, the Hornets got ahead early after junior Miranda Campbell hit a single up the middle to allow sophomore Abby Hughes to run in the first point of the game.

Both teams held on defense until the bottom of the fifth inning, when senior catcher Aubree Brattin hit a double to left field to allow senior infielder Jennifer Dace to run in another point for the Hornets. ESU gained the momentum as junior outfielder Jenna Potter capitalized on a fielding error to first base to allow Brattin to run in to make it a 3-0 ball game.

The Hornets continued to hold on defense and followed with more hits in the bottom of the sixth inning. Campell hit another single to center field to allow junior Linda Ketter to score. Dace followed with a double up to center field to run in Campbell and sophomore Angela Mahan.

Senior Megan Dennis threw her sixth shutout of the year and is fifth in the MIAA in strikeouts per 7.0 innings and wins, ninth in ERA and 10th in opponent batting averages.

“I came out to try and get ahead of everyone to keep it low and it helped getting the strikeouts,” Dennis said.

Offensively, the Hornets posed a threat at bat with runners in scoring position every inning.

Campbell went two for three at bat and Dace went two for four, both with two RBI. Brattin went one for three with one RBI.

Dace hit within one double of the ESU career record for doubles.

“It was a big day for all of us,” Dace said. “For the seniors it was all about thanking the community and thanking Emporia for all they have done for us and we just wanted to come out here and put on the best show we could.”

In game two, the Hornets started with another early lead in the bottom of the first inning when the Tigers fumbled the ball at first base to allow Hughes to advance from second base to score the first point of the game.

Neither team would score until the bottom of the third inning when Campbell hit a home run to left field, getting her eighth home run of the year. Potter put the Hornets up 3-0 after hitting a ground ball to second base to allow Dace to score.

After holding the Tigers in the top of the fourth inning, the Hornets continued to make plays at bat with Peters hitting the second home run of the game out to left field.

Fort Hays got their first and only run of the game in the top of the fifth inning when catcher Cortney Brown hit a home run to left field to bring the count to 4-1.

After holding in the top of the sixth inning, the Hornets continued to make offensive runs, scoring three more points.

Campbell led the Hornets on offense in game two, going two for three with two RBI. Peters was perfect at bat, going three for three with one RBI.

“Offensively we did great,” Dennis said. “We saw the ball well and we put it in play. They made the errors and we got the hits we needed.”

On defense, Dennis allowed two hits in game one and freshman Jennifer Heerey allowed three hits in game two.

“Everyone did their part today,” Brattin said. “Our pitchers threw phenomenal and our defense was tight today.”

Allowing one run on three hits, Heerey got her 19th run of the year.

“I just thought it was a great team effort,” said Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner. “We came out, we hit the ball well, we had great pitching, we played great defense and I think that is what it is all about right now.”

Taking the series 2-0, the Hornets’ seniors said they felt it was a good way to end their last game at home.

“We definitely wanted to go out with a bang and we did,” Dennis said. “It is the last time we will get to play out here and I am glad we did it like that.”

The Hornets have had success at home for the majority of the season, winning 22 of their last 25 games at the Trusler Sports Complex.

“We have been a little up and down with our consistency,” Brattin said. “But we are ending strong going into our post-season play and that is all that matters.”

The seniors are not the only ones who feel the wins were bittersweet.

“It is always sad to see your seniors go but they have had a successful career here and you just want to see them succeed and do well and you replace what you can and you move on from there,” Bredbenner said. “But they are a good group and I have had a lot of fun with them and they have achieved a lot here over the last couple of years and so hopefully they will keep on going here in the next couple of weeks.”

The Hornets ended the regular season with an overall record of 36-13 and went 15-5 in the MIAA. The Hornets led the MIAA in team batting average at .319 while the closest team behind them is hitting a .290 average. The Hornets also lead in slugging percentage at .484, while Washburn trails in second with a .452 average.

ESU is now preparing for post-season play in the MIAA Tournament.

“We are taking a couple of days off,” Bredbenner said. “We really have not had any time off these last couple of weeks because we have a lot of games. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we will practice hard and then get ready for Thursday because we have to play two that night.”

The Hornets will play in the first round of the MIAA Tournament at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 30 in Overland Park, Kan.

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Outfielder Jenna Potter hits a line drive Tuesday afternoon against the Missouri Western Griffons at Turnbull Field. The Hornets split the double header 3-0, 6-7. Kellen Jenkins/The Bulletin

The Emporia State softball team split the series 1-1 against Missouri Western on Tuesday at the Trusler Complex. The Hornets won game one 3-0 and lost game two 7-6.

“I thought pitching wise we did not show up in game two,” said Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner. “We got too behind in the count and gave up too many hits, especially hits with runners in scoring position.”

On defense, senior Megan Denise led the Hornets in the circle with four strike-outs and no walks, throwing her fifth shutout of the season in game one.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third inning, when sophomore Abby Hughes hit a home run to score two, getting her tenth home run of the season. Junior Miranda Campbell hit a home run right after, getting her sixth home run of the season.

Senior Jennifer Dace, sophomore Abby Smith and senior Jill Peters all got one hit. Hughes went 1-2 at bat with two RBI and Campbell went 2-3 at bat with one RBI.

In game two, the count was 0-0 until the third inning when MWU took the lead off of an RBI double on Kasey Smith.

ESU would tie up the game in the bottom of the third from an RBI single from Dace.

At the top of the fourth inning, the Griffons took a 5-1 lead after hitting three doubles. Keri Franks led the offensive front with a two RBI double.

The Griffons scored three runs before ESU made a pitching change to substitute Jenny Heerey for Denise. MWU would score one more run before the bottom of the fourth.

The Hornets cut the deficit to 4-2 with a home run from Smith, which barely missed the left foul post.

Denise allowed one hit and no runs in the top of the fifth inning.

The Hornets continued to get consistent at bats. Campbell hit her second home run of the series with two RBI to make it a one point game.

ESU was unable to stop the Griffons at bat in the top of the sixth inning. Denise allowed three hits and two runs to put MWU up 7-4.

For Denise, coming in halfway through the game and adjusting on the mound was difficult.

“Game two I think I should have loosened up more than I was prepared for,” Denise said. “When I went in there was runners on, I was a little overwhelmed. Aubree (Brattin) was trying to adjust from Jennifer (Heerey) to me because we throw different games so she has to call different plays and they just caught up with us.

The Hornets did not go quietly. In the bottom of the seventh, ESU kept the fans on their feet with two more runs to make it a one point game. With two out and two runners on base, Smith was last at bat for the Hornets. Smith hit a short grounder out the second base but was thrown out at first base to end the game.

Although the Hornets had nine hits in game two, Smith said they just were not hitting to the right spots.

“We put the ball in play, we just were hitting the ball right at people which makes it hard to score runs,” she said.

The Hornets swept Washburn Wednesday 4-1 in game one and 8-0 in game two.

Emporia State moves up one spot to number nine in this week’s NCAA Division II South Central Regional Softball Poll and are one spot behind West Texas A&M.

With only one more regular season match up, the Hornets are preparing for post season play.

“I know we have a great chance to win the conference tournament because these teams that we are losing to we are like this and making mistakes,” Denise added.

ESU will finish up the regular season at 2 p.m. Friday against Fort Hays State at the Trusler Complex.

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The Emporia State softball team swept a double-header against Truman State last Tuesday, winning game one with a score of 9-3 and game two with a score of 12-2.

In game one, the Hornets took the lead early when sophomore Angela Mahan drove two runners in, putting ESU up 2-0 in the first inning.

Truman did not go quietly, scoring on an unearned run in the second inning and a home run by Dani Mayer at the top of the fourth inning.

ESU capitalized at bat in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring six runs to put the score to 9-2.

The Hornets attempted to score one more to run rule and the Bulldogs would score only one more at the top of the seventh.

ESU senior Aubree Brattin ran in a score and went 2-3 at bat with four RBI. Junior Miranda Campbell ran in two scores and went 1-1 with one RBI. Mahan also ran in two scores and went 2-3 at bat.

On the defensive side, senior pitcher Megan Dennis led the Hornets on the mound. Dennis struck out six and did not allow any walks.

In game two, ESU would continue to get the lead early. Mahan and Campbell both ran in to score in the first inning.

In the second inning, Mahan hit her second home run of the year to score two more for the Hornets, making the score 4-0.

The Hornets scored two more in the fourth inning and shut down Truman on defense the entire game, only allowing the Bulldogs to score two runs in the top of the sixth inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, ESU scored eight runs to get the run rule to win the game. Manley hit a two run homer, sophomore Abby Hughes hit two runners in, sophomore Abby Smith scored on a fielder’s choice and junior Jenna Potter would finish the game with a home run hit to the left wall to score three, bringing the score to 12-2.

Leading ESU on the mound in game two, freshman pitcher Jennifer Heerey got three to strike out and only allowed two runs on six hits.

“I think my defense does a great job of backing me up,” Heerey said. “Hitting my spots and my changeups has been working a lot better lately to throw the batters off balance.”

According to Heerey, having a strong offense has helped on defense.

“I think we have just come together as a team and we have gotten hits when we needed them,” Heerey said. “They have put base hits together and when they run they game it is really nice for the pitcher to be out there on the mound and be up by that much.”

Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner said that, with conference play getting closer, the Hornets need to continue to get important wins.

“It is going to be a tough conference this year and it is going to come down to who loses the games they should have won,” Bredbenner said. “We are going to have Central and Missouri Western here which is nice but we just got to keep focusing one game at a time and beat the teams we need to beat and take it to Missouri Southern.”

According to Bredbenner, the team’s strength at bat will help capture more wins.

“Right now we are just focusing on hitting the ball up the middle and making power contact with the ball,” Bredbenner said. “We have to be able to adjust our hitting style a little bit to the pitching style. When it is slow and low we have to make sure to wait and stay low through the ball and when it is a little quicker we have to have quicker hands and get our barrel through.”

On the defensive end, Bredbenner said pitching with more experience is key to shutting down other teams at bat.

“Our pitchers have been learning from their mistakes,” she said. “Granted, we are still making some here and there, but they are fine tuning a little more and not having as many of them.”

With the next game away against Missouri Southern, Bredbenner said the team needs to focus.

“Missouri Southern right now has won more games than they did all last year already,” she said. “They are a team no one can look past and I think a couple people have and it has come back to bite them a little bit.”

The Hornets are now 24-9 in regular season play and are 5-1 in the MIAA. They will play at 2 p.m. Saturday in Joplin, Mo.

Doug Irby/The Bulletin

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