Photo by Adam Vogler
Emporia State pitcher Samantha Sheeley releases a pitch to Washburn’s Lynsey Randolph during the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader at the Trusler Sports Complex. Sheeley was one of four seniors honored on senior day, and the Hornets swept the Lady Blues to win the regular-season MIAA title.
Jennifer Dace still remembers sitting down with her Emporia State coaches and teammates long before the season even began.
“We always make our goals at the beginning of the year,” the ESU junior said, “and winning the conference and the conference tournament are the very first things on the list.”
No. 1 was marked off on Sunday. The Hornets will get a crack at No. 2 in just a few more days.
The Hornets clinched the outright MIAA regular-season title on Sunday, taking 4-2 and 11-3 victories over Washburn at the Trusler Sports Complex.
The sweep also guarantees the Hornets the top seed in the MIAA Tournament, which starts on Thursday.
“It starts with the Bree Beatties and the Megan Davisons and the Courtney Reeds and all of them that came before us,” ESU senior April Huddleston said. “It’s a tradition, and it means a lot to follow up with that.”
ESU’s reign atop the conference has become more than impressive — now, it’s unprecedented.
Photo by Adam Vogler
Emporia State’s Miranda Campbell (3) beats out Washburn shortstop Brooke DeVader’s (13) throw to second baseman Malarie Fellers during the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Lady Blues.
The Hornets won the MIAA regular-season championship for the fourth consecutive year, a feat that had not been accomplished in the conference’s history.
The fourth one might have been the toughest of the bunch, too.
ESU had nine new players on this year’s roster and also had to make up for the losses of the first-team All-MIAA pitcher Reed and the all-time MIAA home run leader Davison.
“This one’s pretty special,” ESU coach Kristi Bredbenner said, “because I think a lot of teams didn’t pick us to win this year.”
The Hornets still managed to win the conference with room to spare, finishing 15-3 in the MIAA. Central Missouri was second with a 12-6 mark.
ESU’s victories on Sunday were helped by a consistent offensive attack.
In Game One, the Hornets scored two runs in both the first and second innings to take a 4-0 lead.
Miranda Campbell and Huddleston had RBI hits in the first, while Dace and Campbell had run-scoring singles in the second.
That would be all the cushion senior Samantha Sheeley would need, as she allowed two runs in her complete-game effort.
The right-hander struck out six and walked just one.
ESU continued the hot bats in Game Two, using a six-run second inning to take control.
The biggest hit came from Dace, who capped the scoring with a two-out, opposite-field home run that snuck over the wall in left.
“The first two pitches she brought me inside, so I had a feeling she was bringing me outside,” Dace said. “I just had the mindset if it was outside, I was swinging.”
Campbell ended the game early in the sixth, blasting a one-out homer over the left-field fence to enforce the run rule.
ESU received good production from its seniors in the lineup. Huddleston was 3-for-3 with an RBI and run scored, while Jessie Wiard was 2-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs scored.
Campbell also hit for a combined cycle in the two games played with a single, double, triple and home run.
The Hornets had 13 hits in the nightcap, which Bredbenner said was the result of taking a better approach at the plate.
“We’ve really struggled with the outside pitch,” Bredbenner said. “We talked a little bit about playing within yourself and knowing that you can hit it, and having that confidence and not being over-anxious. I thought the girls did a great job today.”
ESU split its doubleheader against Pittsburg State on Saturday, winning the first game, 3-1, before losing the second, 2-1.
The Hornets (36-15, 15-3 MIAA) will find out Wednesday whether they have done enough to host the North Central Regional tournament.
ESU was No. 2 in the Regional rankings behind Nebraska-Omaha last week.
“I’m not going to get my hopes up, because it seems like every year I get my hopes up that it goes down to the wire,” Bredbenner said. “For right now, I’m just happy we swept these games.”
Sunday at Trusler
Game One
ESU 4, Washburn 2
Washburn 002 000 0 — 2 5 3
No. 22 ESU 220 000 X — 4 10 1
W — Sheeley. L — Swygert.
E — WU: Williams, DeVader 2; ESU: Huddleston. LOB — WU 4, ESU 13. 2B — WU: Tarbutton. 3B — ESU: Campbell. SH — ESU: Potter. CS — ESU: Potter.
Records — WU 27-23, 9-7 MIAA; ESU 36-15, 15-3 MIAA.
Game Two
ESU 11, Washburn 3
Washburn 010 200 — 3 7 1
No. 22 ESU 060 401 — 11 13 0
W — Me. Dennis. L — Long.
Note: 1 out, 0 runners LOB when the game ended.
E — WU: Madill. DP — ESU 2. LOB — WU 2, ESU 4. 2B — WU: DeVader, Tapp; ESU: Campbell, Brattin. HR — ESU: Dace, Campbell. SH — ESU: Mahan, Hughes. SF — WU: Fellers. SB — ESU: Wiard.
Saturday at Pittsburg
Game One
ESU 3, Pittsburg State 1
No. 22 ESU 120 000 0 — 3 6 0
Pittsburg State 000 100 0 — 1 5 2
W — Sheeley. L — Swanson.
E — Deaton 2. LOB — ESU 5, PSU 7. 2B — ESU: Dace. HR — PSU: Swanson. HBP — PSU: Bernal. SH — PSU: Birchfield. SB — ESU: Mahan, Brattin. CS — ESU: Wiard, Potter.
Game Two
Pittsburg State 2, ESU 1
No. 22 ESU 001 000 0 — 1 4 0
Pittsburg State 000 100 1 — 2 4 0
W — Moore. L — Me. Dennis.
Note: 1 out, 2 runners LOB when the game ended.
LOB — ESU 5, PSU 4. 2B — ESU: Brattin; PSU: Lockhart. HR — ESU: Ketter; PSU: Birchfield. HBP — ESU: Huddleston. SH — PSU: Lockhart, Deaton.
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