NORTH MANKATO, Minn. — Miranda Campbell was sure — positive — that the Emporia State softball team would snap out of its offensive slump against pitcher Amanda Johnson and Southwest Minnesota State on Friday.
“I think we were pressing too much — I know I was,” Campbell said. “We were just anxious to get that hit.”
That hit — the clutch one ESU needed to win — never came, however, as ESU fell, 2-1, in 11 innings to Southwest Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA Regional Tournament in North Mankato, Minn.
After playing 3 1/3 extra innings, the Mustangs’ Amanda Tucci ended it with a single swing.
With one out in the bottom of the 11th, ESU reliever Courtney Reed tried to get ahead in the count by throwing a first-pitch change up.
Tucci didn’t let it pass, pounding the outside offering well over the fence in left field for a walkoff solo home run.
“You don’t see a ton of those (changeups) getting hit for home runs,” ESU coach Kristi Bredbenner said.
The real star for Southwest, though, was starter Amanda Johnson. The ironwoman went all 11 innings for the Mustangs, allowing just the one run and striking out seven. She threw 147 pitches in all.
“She didn’t show any signs of fatigue,” Bredbenner said, “and she found our hitters’ weaknesses.”
ESU took the early lead in the top of the third, as Laura Pfautsch started with a bunt single and Jessie Wiard moved her to second with a one-out sacrifice bunt.
April Huddleston followed with a line-drive single to right to give ESU a 1-0 advantage.
Southwest Minnesota State responded in the fifth, as nine-hole hitter Andrea Fennern sent an opposite-field homer over the wall in right.
It was Fennern’s first home run this season.
ESU was unable to scratch a run across after that, with its best chance coming in the eighth.
With one out, Jessie Wiard and Huddleston posted back-to-back singles and moved to second and third after a passed ball.
Johnson walked Megan Davison intentionally, and Jennifer Dace followed with a lined shot to Fennern at third, who caught it and beat Wiard to the bag for a double play.
“We just didn’t get lucky enough,” Campbell said.
Johnson escaped baserunners in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings to set up the game-winning home run.
“She threw a great game,” Bredbenner said. “She kept us off-balance and stayed away from us. Our bigger hitters did not have the best at-bats.”
“Every pitch had a natural rise to it,” Huddleston said. “She got ahead in the count and would go at us.
“It was nothing that we can’t adjust to, but we just didn’t.”
Huddleston and Campbell both had two hits to lead ESU.
The Hornets drop to the losers’ bracket and will have to win five consecutive games to defend their Regional title.
“Coach said, ‘If there’s a team out there that can do this, it’s us,’” Campbell said.
First up is Missouri Western today at 10 a.m.
“We have the depth and the drive to do it,” Bredbenner said. “I think the girls are up for it.”
NCAA Regionals
Second Round
Friday at North Mankato, Minn.
SW Minnesota State 2, ESU 1 (11 innings)
ESU 001 000 00000 — 1 6 2
SWMSU 000 010 00001 — 2 5 3
W — Johnson. L — Reed.
E — ESU: Stevens, Sheeley; SWMSU: Paczosa, Opatz, Johnson. DP — SWMSU 1. LOB — ESU 10, SWMSU 7. 2B — ESU: Dace, Campbell; SWMSU: Johnson. HR — SWMSU: Tucci, Fennern. HBP — ESU: Huddleston. SH — ESU: Wiard 2; SWMSU: Donoho, Tucci, Opatz 2. SB — SWMSU: Paczosa.