After a slow start to the year, Emporia State softball coach Kristi Bredbenner had some advice for her team.
Forget about it.
“Now that we’ve moved into Region and conference play, this is our season,” Bredbenner said. “This is the season we need to focus on.”
The Hornets performed well on their opening day against Regional competition, taking a 9-0 victory over South Dakota and an 11-7 win over Augustana on Monday at the Old Hornet softball field in Emporia.
“We’ve gotten used to each other,” ESU outfielder Angela Mahan said. “Now that we’re finally getting outside, it’s starting to come along.”
ESU dominated Game One, helped by a strong outing from Samantha Sheeley.
After striking out 15 batters in a game on Sunday, the senior allowed no runs and just three hits in four innings on Monday.
“We’re going to need to pitch her a little bit more,” Bredbenner said, “and she’s starting to look good.”
The Hornets enforced the run-rule by scoring in every inning except for the first.
ESU’s offense was led by Mahan, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a pair of RBI. Jessie Wiard added three hits, a run scored and three stolen bases.
The Hornets needed a rally to pull out Game Two against Augustana.
Trailing 4-2, ESU exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the fifth to take an 11-4 lead.
Mahan and Jill Peters both contributed two-run hits, as the Hornets took advantage of three errors in the inning.
“The biggest thing with this team this year is they’ve got to make things happen. They’ve got to put the ball in play,” Bredbenner said. “We don’t have the power hitter that’s going to hit the ball over the fence and save the game for us this year. We just have to get base hits and go up there and be aggressive.”
ESU survived a scare in the seventh, as Augustana responded with three runs to make it 11-7 and had the tying run on deck.
Luckily for the Hornets, Jenna Turner’s line drive was right at second baseman Shelbe Hughes, who squeezed it for the final out.
Mahan finished 3-for-4 with a single, double and triple. She added three RBI and two runs scored.
“We knew what we had to do,” Mahan said. “We just went and got it done.”
Peters also went 2-for-3 with three RBI.
The Hornets (10-8) will play their first home game at Trusler on Wednesday against the defending Regional champion Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks.
ESU couldn’t use Trusler on Monday because the field was too wet.
Game One
ESU 9, South Dakota 0
Monday at Old Hornet Field
ESU 013 14 — 9 11 0
South Dakota 000 00 — 0 3 3
W — Sheeley. L — Heim. E — SD: Jones, Johnson, Eversley. LOB — ESU 7, USD 4. 2B — ESU: Mahan 2, Huddleston, Campbell, Peters 2. HR — ESU: Brattin. HBP — ESU: Dace. SH — ESU: Potter. SB — ESU: Wiard 3, Hughes 2.
Game Two
ESU 11, Augustana 7
Monday at Old Hornet Field
Augustana 101 020 3 — 7 11 4
ESU 110 090 X — 11 11 2
W — Me. Dennis. L — Anderson
E — AU: Bohlmann, Wolner, Turner, Ottis; ESU: Wiard, Campbell. DP — AU 1. LOB — AU 6, ESU 3. 2B — AU: Hubers; ESU: Mahan, Peters 2. 3B — ESU: Mahan. HBP — ESU: Potter. SH — AU: Bohlmann, Wolner 2, Turner; ESU: Wiard, Hughes. SB — ESU: Wiard, Ketter.