Perfect Ending
Behind Sheeley’s dominating effort, Hornets claim 5th straight MIAA Tourney title
By Michael Ashford (Contact)
Monday, May 5, 2008
Matthew Hicks/Special to The Gazette
Emporia State’s Miranda Campbell hugs teammate Jessie Wiard after the Hornets defeated Central Missouri, 4-0, in 14 innings to win the MIAA Tournament on Saturday in Shawnee. Campbell hit the game-winning double to lift ESU to its fifth straight tourney title.
SHAWNEE — In Emporia State softball coach Kristi Bredbenner’s mind, without senior pitcher Samantha Sheeley this season, the Hornets never would have even been in a position to defend their four straight MIAA Tournament titles.
Without Sheeley, the No. 12 Hornets certainly wouldn’t have come away with No. 5.
Sheeley was as dominant as ever Saturday, pitching a complete-game, one-hit shutout in 14 innings of work to help lift ESU past Central Missouri, 4-0, in the championship round of the tournament. At one point, Sheeley retired 25 straight batters while racking up a career-high 19 strikeouts, as she allowed just four walks.
“Sam pitched amazing,” Bredbenner said. “When it comes down to it, she’s been the biggest reason for our success this year.”
“I can’t even begin to explain how awesome it was watching her,” said Miranda Campbell, who provided the offensive lift for ESU in the 14th inning with a two-out, two-RBI, bases-loaded double. “She’s one person we know we can always count on.”
Emporia State went into the day needing just one victory to claim the championship, as Central Missouri already had one loss in the double-elimination tournament. Had ESU lost the first game, it would have forced a second game.
But thanks in large part to Sheeley, the Hornets came away with the victory they needed — no second game necessary. Though ESU did play the equivalent of two games.
“I’m prepared to do that,” Sheeley said. “That’s what I work for in the offseason; that’s what I put in the time for. I knew I was going to finish this game, and I knew we were going to win.”
Matthew Hicks/Special to The Gazette
Emporia State’s Jessie Wiard jumps onto home plate after Miranda Campbell’s double drove her in from second. ESU’s Aubree Brattin, right, and Jenna Potter celebrate.
Locked in a pitcher’s duel with Central Missouri’s Megan Leonard, it was Sheeley, the MIAA Pitcher of the Year, who stood out. After walking the first batter of the game, Sheeley retired 25 straight until a ninth-inning walk. Only once did she get into trouble, as she escaped a jam in the 11th when Central had runners on second and third with one out.
After Sheeley walked Crystal Gustin and Leonard to open the 11th, Katie Bauer laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners up. However, Gustin was caught in a rundown at third after she slipped running back to the bag, and then Sheeley struck out Whitney Sandberg to end the threat.
“I was disappointed with myself for walking those two runners on. I just told myself, ‘I can’t let them score on my errors,’” Sheeley said. “I pushed through it. I usually do pretty well in pressure situations, and my defense was amazing today. They were heads-up.”
Meanwhile, Leonard was nearly as masterful for UCM, allowing no runs on eight hits with three walks and 14 strikeouts. She eventually tired, though, and left the game after pitching 12 innings, as Central brought on Kelly Martin in relief.
And that’s when the door opened for the Hornets.
In the top of the 14th, Aubree Brattin singled up the middle and Jenna Potter reached on a fielding error by the UCM third baseman on a bunt attempt. Then, Jessie Wiard, the career leader in Division II in sacrifice bunts, reached safely on a bunt single, which loaded the bases.
Matthew Hicks/Special to The Gazette
Emporia State’s Samantha Sheeley releases a pitch during Saturday’s MIAA Tournament title game against Central Missouri. Sheeley pitched all 14 innings, allowing just one hit in the Hornets’ 4-0 victory.
However, the next batter, Angela Mahan, hit a soft grounder to UCM’s shortstop Tracey Anderson, who threw out Brattin at home, and then Jennifer Dace popped out to third with the bases still loaded, giving the Jennies hope that they could escape the inning unscathed.
Campbell ended those thoughts, smacking a liner over the center fielder’s outstretched glove to drive home Potter and Wiard to finally break the scoreless tie.
“They know I can go with the outside pitch, so when they brought in (Martin), I knew they were coming inside,” Campbell said. “I was looking for that pitch. I think that one actually went right down the middle. I was just trying to find a gap just to get us one run at least.”
April Huddleston then gave ESU two insurance runs, as she singled to right to plate Mahan and Campbell, giving ESU a 4-0 advantage.
“I knew we were going to score a run here or there,” Bredbenner said. “We had so many chances to score runs, and I just knew that after we’d played so hard that we were going to win that game.”
Sheeley came back on in the bottom of the 14th, and though she lost her no-hitter when the leadoff batter, Bauer, hit a bloop single to left, Sheeley came back and got Sandberg and Melissa Palmer to strike out and then tied up Marisha Branson enough to get her to foul out to Dace to give ESU the victory.
The victory gave the Hornets their fifth straight league tourney title and made ESU the first school to win the MIAA regular-season and tournament titles in four consecutive years.
“This is my third, and I think we had to work a lot harder for this one,” Bredbenner said. “The last two years ... we’ve kind of coasted. These kids, they’ve worked hard all year, from the very first day in August until now.”
Emporia State now heads into Regional play, where they will host the tournament at the Trusler Sports Complex, starting Wednesday.
After Saturday, the Hornets know what they’re going to get out of their ace, Sheeley, as if they didn’t already know it before.
“These close games are going to happen,” Sheeley said, “and this is exactly what we need going into Regionals.
“When we come out on top, it’s perfect.”
Against Central Missouri on Saturday, Sheeley nearly was perfect, and the Hornets are MIAA Tournament champs because of it.
MIAA Tournament
Championship Game
Saturday at Shawnee
Emporia State 4, Central Missouri 0,
14 innings
ESU 000 000 000 000 04 — 4 12 1
UCM 000 000 000 000 00 — 0 1 3
W — Sheeley. L — Martin.
E — ESU: Mahan; UCM: Branson, Bauer, Sandberg. LOB — ESU 14, UCM 5. 2B — ESU: Campbell, Hughes. SH — ESU: Mahan, Smith, Potter; UCM: Palmer, Branson, Hummer, Bauer. CS — UCM: Bergley.
Records — ESU 40-15, UCM 36-20.
Softball takes top seed at Regionals
The Emporia State softball team has earned the No. 1 seed during this week’s North Central Regional.
The seedings were released on Sunday following the conclusion of conference tournaments.
ESU is one of four MIAA teams in the eight-team Regional.
The No. 12 Hornets (40-15) will open Regionals with a 5:30 p.m. game against eighth-seeded Washburn on Wednesday. All tournament games will be played at the Trusler Sports Complex.
North Central Regional Seeds
1. Emporia State
2. Southwest Minnesota State
3. Central Missouri
4. Neb.-Omaha
5. Minnesota State-Mankato
6. Winona State
7. Northwest Missouri
8. Washburn
Regional Schedule
Wednesday at Trusler
10 a.m. Central Missouri vs. Winona State
12:30 p.m. Southwest Minnesota State vs. Northwest Missouri
3 p.m. Nebraska-Omaha vs. Minnesota State-Mankato
5:30 p.m. Emporia State vs. Washburn
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