The Emporia U-18 Energy will be heading into the next week’s State Tournament with quite a bit of momentum, as the team posted a perfect 4-0 record to win the two-day Augusta Tournament.
“It was a fantastic weekend for us,” Emporia coach Lin Muninger said. “We played solid softball on both the offensive and defensive end.”
The Energy was led by Amber Jones, who picked up three of the four pitching victories and also was named tournament MVP.
Emporia took the championship with a 4-3 victory over the Augusta Mavericks on Sunday.
Augusta scored one in the first before the Energy responded with two in the third.
Jones reached on an error, and after a Javyn Carl sacrifice bunt, Lenae Wells singled to put runners on first and third.
The two ended up scoring on a bunt by Chelsea Goins, who reached first on a single before an error moved the two runners home.
“Our execution of the bunt game fueled the offense, keeping us in the game until we could generate a few hits,” Muninger said.
Emporia added another in the fourth when Elyse Hecht singled and McKenzie Cinelli followed with an RBI double.
The Mavericks tied it with two runs in the top of the fifth, but the Energy answered with the eventual game-winning tally in the bottom of the frame.
Melissa Crawford singled and was replaced by pinch runner Hannah Lynch. She moved to second on a passed ball, to third on a single by Jones and scored when Carl’s groundball was dropped by the Augusta first baseman.
Jones took the win, allowing just three Augusta hits. She also added two hits at the plate to lead the Emporia offense.
Cinelli, Hecht, Wells and Goins had the other Energy hits.
Emporia advanced to the title game by going 3-0 on Saturday.
The Energy opened with a 7-1 triumph over the S.E.K. Slingers.
Emporia scored three runs in the top of the first, with the key hit coming from Amy McAfee, who delivered a two-run double.
Jones picked up the win, giving up three hits while striking out 10.
The Energy defeated the Wichita Stingers, 5-2, in its second game Saturday.
Emporia broke the game open in the third.
Wells and Hecht reached on errors before Cinelli singled to load the bases.
Brendy Muninger came through in the clutch, knocking a three-run double to make it 3-1.
She later scored on Crawford’s RBI groundout.
It would be more than enough run support for McAfee, who allowed two runs on just three hits.
Emporia clinched a spot in the finals with a 1-0 win over the Newton Shredders.
The Energy scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Muninger walked, and McAfee put down a bunt that was overthrown by the third baseman.
Muninger came all the way around from first to score on the play.
“The way the game was being played, it felt as if the team that made the first mistake might lose,” coach Muninger said. “Both teams’ defenses were playing so well.”
Jones took the complete-game shutout win, surrendering four hits.
A double by Crawford and single by Hecht were the only Energy hits.
Emporia (22-10) will take a week off before competing in the ASA Class B State Tournament in Topeka on July 28-29.