The Emporia State softball team played so well in Friday’s first game against Central Oklahoma that it might have hurt itself in Game Two.
“That team (Central Oklahoma) got a chewing after the first game,” ESU coach Kristi Bredbenner said. “They were way more aggressive in the first inning of the second game.”
The Bronchos rode that momentum to earn a split with the Hornets on Friday, as ESU took a 6-0 victory before UCO won the nightcap, 4-3.
“I think they just came out ready to go (the second game),” ESU senior Courtney Reed said, “and we were just kind of back on our heels the first couple innings.”
Central grabbed a 3-0 lead after the top of the third before ESU battled back.
After Jessie Wiard reached on an error, Miranda Campbell delivered a two-run homer to left-center to cut the advantage to 3-2.
“I was just trying to get on base so that someone else could get us in,” Campbell said, “but I got lucky and got a hold of it and over it went.”
Stacy Walden knocked a solo home run off Reed in the fifth before the Hornets put together one last charge.
Courtney Stevens started the sixth with a double, and Laura Pfautsch drove her in on a single to make it 4-3. Pfautsch moved to third on an error but was left stranded after Chelsea McClernon lined out to second baseman Kelsey Tiger.
ESU went down in order in the seventh.
“One hit away probably,” Campbell said. “We just didn’t get the right luck or hit at the times we needed.”
The Hornets coasted to the victory in the first game, led by a dominating performance in the circle from Reed.
The senior started off strong, striking out the first two batters of the game.
“The first inning, when she mowed them down, it just gave all of us confidence,” Campbell said. “She lifted us up by doing that.”
ESU tacked on a run in the first and second innings before scoring three in the fourth.
Shelbe Hughes had an RBI single in the frame, and the Hornets also took advantage of a pair of Broncho errors.
Meanwhile, Reed continued to roll in her complete-game effort. The right-hander scattered three hits over seven innings, striking out nine in picking up her ninth win.
“I felt pretty good,” Reed said. “I felt like I was hitting all my spots and mixing up the pitches.”
“When she’s on her game and she trusts what she’s doing out there, I think she’s pretty much unstoppable,” Bredbenner said. “She can go out there and blow it by people.”
Campbell led the ESU offense in both games, going a combined 4-for-6 with four runs and two RBI.
ESU (18-7) will continue play in the Best Western/Rodeway Inn Softball Invitational today, facing Winona State at 11:30 a.m. The Hornets also will take on Bemidji State and Cameron starting at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
Friday at Emporia
Game One
ESU 6, Central Oklahoma 0
Cent. Oklahoma 000 000 0 — 0 3 4
Emporia State 110 301 X — 6 8 0
W — Reed. L — Blake.
E — UCO: Walden; DeWitt; Craig; Tiger. DP — Bronchos 1. LOB — Bronchos 2; Hornets 6. 2B — UCO: Roberts(4). CS — UCO: J. Hinkel; ESU: Ketter.
Game Two
Central Oklahoma 4, ESU 3
Cent. Oklahoma 021 010 0 — 4 10 2
Emporia State 002 001 0 — 3 7 2
W — Brandt. L — Sheeley.
E — UCO: Walden; Roberts; ESU: McClernon; Sheeley. LOB — Bronchos 7; Hornets 7. 2B — UCO: Craig(3); Roberts 2(6); Kauk(5); ESU: Stevens(8). HR — UCO: Walden(6); ESU: Campbell(1). HBP — ESU: Hughes. SH — UCO: Campbell; Dace. SB — UCO: Campbell. CS — UCO: Cleaver.