HOUSTON — One of Jennifer Dace’s biggest weaknesses has become a strength.
On Wednesday, Dace’s ability to hit pitches on the outside corner helped lead Emporia State to a win in the first round of the College World Series.
Dace had three hits — all to the opposite field — and drove in a pair of runs as the Hornets ran away with a 6-0 victory over C.W. Post.
“Right now, I’m feeling really comfortable with hitting that outside pitch,” Dace said. “(The pitcher) was trying to get ahead every time by throwing me inside, and the umpire wasn’t calling it. I was waiting for her to throw me an outside pitch.”
Luckily for Dace, she ended up getting the pitches she wanted at the crucial times.
The junior drove in a run in the first after hitting a sharp grounder into left, then helped bring in two more when she lined a ball just over shortstop Christie Softy in the fourth.
Dace celebrated her game-changing hit by jumping up and down on the base at first.
“I was just pumped up,” Dace said. “It felt good to be hitting and winning at the World Series.”
Two innings later, Dace nearly knocked one out of the ballpark, driving a double off the base of the wall in left.
No one was more pleased than ESU coach Kristi Bredbenner, who had seen Dace struggle to take the ball the opposite way during her first two years.
“I just think the more mature you get, the more bat control you have,” Bredbenner said. “I think that’s the one thing that’s improved with her the most.”
Dace wasn’t the only Hornet with hitting success on Wednesday.
ESU never looked nervous or intimidated on the big stage, scoring runs early to create a safety net for Samantha Sheeley.
Not that the ESU starter ended up needing much of one.
Sheeley pitched her fourth complete-game shutout in her last six outings, allowing six hits while striking out nine.
The senior ended up settling down after a shaky beginning.
C.W. Post managed two runners in each of the first two innings before Sheeley began to diagnose her own problem.
“I was getting ahead in the count,” Sheeley said, “but then I was putting it too close to the plate.”
The right-hander fixed her mistake quickly.
Sheeley retired 10 consecutive batters, then recorded six of her strikeouts in the final four innings.
ESU jumped out to its lead with a run in the first.
Jessie Wiard started things with a groundball to the pitcher, but Samantha Yodowitz threw over the first baseman’s head to advance Wiard to second.
Angela Mahan followed with a bunt that died on the chalk of the left-handed batter’s box. Catcher Melissa Hippo picked it up thinking it was foul, but the umpire ruled it was fair, giving the Hornets runners on the corners.
Dace’s RBI single through the left side scored Wiard.
“We just came out hacking today,” Dace said. “We had nothing to lose. It was the first game, and we’re here to win it.”
The Hornets broke the game open with a three-run fourth.
Aubree Brattin started with a single to left, and Yodowitz made her third error of the game — a high throw to first — on Jenna Potter’s bunt.
“We found their weakness — unfortunately for them — in that very first at-bat,” Bredbenner said. “We used it to our advantage.”
Wiard beat out an infield single to load the bases, then Mahan contributed an RBI groundout to the second baseman.
Dace followed with her second hit to score one run, and Wiard came home after Kelsey Cooley bobbled the ball in left.
C.W. Post ended with five errors, while ESU had none.
Mahan added two hits and two RBI, while Brattin also contributed a pair of hits.
With the victory, ESU advances to play Humboldt State at 5:30 tonight. HSU upset No. 1-ranked Lock Haven, 2-1, in the first round on Wednesday.
College World Series
First Round
Wednesday at Houston
Emporia State 6, C.W. Post 0
ESU 100 302 0 — 6 10 0
C.W. Post 000 000 0 — 0 6 5
W — Sheeley. L — Yodowitz.
E — CWP: Cooley, Softy, Yodowitz 3. LOB — ESU 10, CWP 6. 2B — ESU: Dace. HBP — ESU: Hughes; CWP: Medina. SH — ESU: Potter. CS — CWP: Yodowitz.
Time — 1:40. Att — 285.