The Emporia State softball team has taken a few days of sunshine and turned them into a weekend’s worth of consistency.
Blessed with a week of good weather — and also outdoor practices all last week — the No. 7 Hornets posted a 4-0 victory over Bemidji State and a 7-0 win over Cameron on Sunday to improve their record to 4-1 at the Best Western/Rodeway Inn Invitational over the weekend.
“This is where we should be every game, and improving from here and only getting better,” ESU coach Kristi Bredbenner said. “I’m real proud of them. They’ve been playing hard and have great attitudes. We’re fired up in the dugout about how things are going.”
The Hornets have good reason to be.
Not only has the offense picked up the production, but the pitching has been nearly unhittable as of late.
ESU also posted a shutout in Saturday’s 11-0 victory over Winona State, meaning the Hornets have not allowed a run in the last 23 innings.
Courtney Reed — who was named the Division-II national player of the week last week — continued to dominate in the circle. She struck out 13 while allowing just two hits against Winona on Saturday, then followed it the next day by fanning 12 Cameron batters in a one-hit performance.
“Courtney’s really in a groove,” Bredbenner said. “She’s working ahead and hitting her spots. She hasn’t had any games where she’s shown any signs of weaknesses. I think that makes our defense play a lot better and fires up our offense.”
Samantha Sheeley had the other shutout for ESU, striking out 10 while scattering four hits in a complete-game effort against Bemidji.
ESU had no errors in its final three games and was led offensively by Chelsea McClernon and Megan Davison.
McClernon went 3-for-6 with four runs scored and three RBI in Sunday’s games. She also pulled off a rare feat in softball — posting triples in two consecutive games despite the short fences.
“That’s the first time I’ve ever done that,” McClernon said. “I was just getting good contact today and taking advantage of the extra base.”
Davison was 3-for-7 in Sunday’s two games after a breakout effort Saturday against Winona.
In that game, the All-American blasted two home runs in a 4-for-4 performance.
“It’s nice, definitely,” Davison said. “Coach B hasn’t given up on me all year — I’ve been struggling a little bit. I just keep pushing and pushing. It finally came for me.”
The senior added four RBI and two runs scored in the contest and was given the ultimate compliment in the final inning.
Though ESU held a commanding 11-0 lead in the top of the seventh, Winona State intentionally walked Davison with two outs and a runner on second base.
Davison now has 46 home runs, which puts her just four away from the MIAA record held by Truman’s Elizabeth Economon. The third baseman is 14 for her last 21 at the plate and has raised her average to a team-leading .407.
“This is the best that Megan’s hit this year so far,” Bredbenner said. “Early on, I think she was pressing a little bit and a little bit too aggressive, getting out on that front foot too much. She’s starting to find the rhythm and the timing she needs to be a successful hitter.”
ESU (21-7) travels to play Nebraska-Omaha on Wednesday.
“We are really meshing as a team. We’re really getting comfortable,” McClernon said. “I think being outside makes a big difference.”
Saturday at Emporia
ESU 11, Winona State 0
Emporia State 111 100 7 — 11 11 0
Winona State 000 000 0 — 0 2 3
W — Reed. L — Ewing.
E — WSU: Harlon; Koehnle; Kastenmeier. DP — Warriors 1. LOB — Hornets 9; Warriors 2. 2B — ESU: McClernon(5); Pfautsch(2); WSU: Ward. HR — ESU: Davison 2(6); Campbell(2). SH — ESU: Hughes; Viola; Pfautsch. SB — ESU: Pfautsch.
Sunday at Emporia
Game One
ESU 4, Bemidji State 0
Emporia State 102 100 0 — 4 10 0
Bemidji State 000 000 0 — 0 4 3
W — Sheeley. L — Paine.
E — BSU: Prettyman; Taylor; Paine. LOB — Hornets 11; Beavers 5. 2B — ESU: McClernon; Davison. 3B — ESU: McClernon. HBP — BSU: Johnson. SF — ESU: Campbell. SB — ESU: McClernon; Wiard 4; Stevens; Pfautsch.
Game Two
ESU 7, Cameron 0
Emporia State 110 002 3 — 7 7 0
Cameron 000 000 0 — 0 1 4
W — Reed. L — McBride.
E — CU: Bour 2; Clifford; McBride. LOB — Hornets 11; Aggies 1. 3B — ESU: McClernon; CU: Schlatter. HBP — ESU: Huddleston; Pfautsch. SF — ESU: Davison. SB — ESU: McClernon; Wiard; Stevens; Viola 2; Pfautsch 3. CS — ESU: Viola.