Emporia State stays alive with pair of victories on Friday
Jesse Newell
Saturday, May 17, 2008
HOUSTON — Samantha Sheeley was tired and sore but ready for more.
Just minutes after Emporia State’s 3-1 victory over St. Edward’s on Friday afternoon, the senior was already talking about the Hornets’ rematch with St. Edward’s at 10 this morning.
“It’s funny — their coaches and players were saying, ‘We’ll see you tomorrow.’ I’ll be ready,” Sheeley said. “I’m waiting for tomorrow.”
One day after getting humbled by Humboldt State, the Hornets were back to their confident selves on Friday night against St. Edward’s.
Now, the team finds itself just two wins away from its first NCAA Championship.
“Momentum is carrying us now,” ESU coach Kristi Bredbenner said. “We don’t want to go home. We’ve earned it here.”
First things first. A win this morning against St. Edward’s would put ESU back into the national title game for the second time in the last three years.
The 3:30 p.m. championship game will be broadcast on CBS College Sports.
Photo Gallery
Division II Softball College World Series in Houston — Set 1
Action from the Emporia State softball team's trip to the College World Series in Houston.
On Friday afternoon, ESU was once again led by Sheeley, who thrived in her second game of the day.
The right-hander allowed just one run while striking out nine.
“I definitely had a little more swagger,” Sheeley said. “I was throwing a little harder this game.”
The Hornets were able to give Sheeley a lead before she even threw a pitch.
Jessie Wiard started the top of the first with an infield single, and the Hornets picked up their second runner when Wiard beat the throw to second after a bunt by Angela Mahan.
Jennifer Dace put down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with one out for Miranda Campbell.
Before the at-bat, ESU coach Kristi Bredbenner instructed Campbell from the third-base coach’s box to hit the ball to the right side.
The sophomore came through with the count at 1-2.
Photo Gallery
Division II Softball College World Series in Houston — Set 2
Action from the Emporia State softball team's trip to the College World Series in Houston.
“I actually tried to call time, and (the umpire) didn’t give it to me,” Campbell said. “I somehow got my hand on the bat and hit the ball.”
The groundball to second base ended up working just fine, as Wiard scored on the play to make it 1-0.
The Hornets chased St. Edward’s starter Robin Becker with a two-run fourth.
Dace led off with a single under shortstop Mandy Phillips’ glove, and after a Campbell sacrifice and a wild pitch, April Huddleston added to ESU’s lead with another RBI grounder to the second baseman that made it 2-0.
With two outs, Shelbe Hughes walked, then Abby Smith lined a single to right.
Aubree Brattin followed with a low popup that fell in front of a diving Phillips, good for an RBI single that made it 3-0 and brought an end to Becker’s day.
The Hilltoppers scored their only run in the sixth — and even that was controversial.
After a single from Lexi Stephens, Kristen Lozano followed with a two-out RBI double down the third-base line that was ruled fair by the home-plate umpire.
Bredbenner argued the call to no avail.
Sheeley got Karen Varteressian on a pop out to first to prevent further damage, then worked a 1-2-3 seventh to close out the game.
The senior picked up her 31st win, which sets a new ESU single-season record. The previous mark of 30 wins was set by Melissa Stevens in 2006.
The Hornets had five hits, with four of those coming off Becker.
“I think going in, we knew we were going to be able to hit their pitchers,” Bredbenner said. “That makes a big difference for us.”
If ESU was to make the championship, it would get a rematch with Humboldt State. The Lumberjacks defeated Lock Haven, 1-0, in 17 innings on Saturday.
ESU fell, 3-0, in its first matchup against HSU on Thursday.
College World Series
Friday at Houston
Game Two
Emporia State 3, St. Edward’s 1
ESU 100 200 0 — 3 5 0
St. Edward’s 000 001 0 — 1 5 0
W — Sheeley. L — Becker.
DP — ESU 1. LOB — ESU 4, St. Edward’s 4. 2B — St. Edward’s: Phillips, Lozano. HBP — St. Edward’s: Varteressian. SH — ESU: Dace, Campbell, Huddleston.
Time — 1:27. Att — 487.
Records — ESU 47-16, St. Edward’s 53-16.
ESU 1, Francis Marion 0
HOUSTON — Miranda Campbell could only think of one thing after lining a deep drive to right field in the second inning.
Finally.
“I breathed a sigh of relief,” the Emporia State third baseman said. “I’d been waiting for that to come all week.”
Campbell picked a good time to come out of her mini-slump, as her double provided the game-winning run in ESU’s 1-0 victory over Francis Marion Friday morning at the College World Series.
Campbell admitted that in the first two games of the tournament, she had been pressing at the plate.
The second-team All-American had gone 0-for-7. Her dad even told her that while she was on deck, he could tell that she was thinking too much.
“I was putting a lot of pressure on myself,” Campbell said. “Now, I know my teammates are going to be there to help me out.”
Campbell’s teammates were able to help her later that inning, as April Huddleston and Shelbe Hughes made sure to bring her around.
Huddleston followed with a sac bunt to move Campbell to third, then Hughes got ahead in the count after taking a high fastball.
ESU coach Kristi Bredbenner had noticed that, oftentimes, Francis Marion pitcher Michaela Wolf was going to a changeup after a first-pitch fastball.
Because it’s much easier to bunt a changeup — and also because the runner on third can get farther down the baseline — Bredbenner called for the suicide squeeze.
The coach guessed right. Wolf delivered a changeup, and Hughes laid down a well-placed bunt up the first base line, leaving Francis Marion with no play.
Campbell slid in safely to make it 1-0.
“I was on my horse,” Campbell said. “I was getting in there no matter what.”
ESU starter Samantha Sheeley held the lead with plenty of help from her defense.
The biggest play came in the sixth after Sheeley hit Monica Wofford to start off the inning.
Pinch hitter Megan Pangburn blooped a fly ball toward center, but ESU second baseman Angela Mahan got a good jump and retreated quickly to the outfield.
“I jumped at the last second,” Mahan said. “I don’t have a very high vertical, but I got it.”
The freshman caught the ball in snow-cone fashion — with the top half of the ball hanging out of the glove — before wheeling and throwing to first to double off Wofford.
Sheeley worked around another hit-by-pitch in the seventh inning to record her second shutout of the tournament.
It wasn’t easy. The right-hander allowed three hits and struck out seven, but allowed a baserunner in every inning.
Aubree Brattin joined Campbell and Hughes as the only Hornets with hits.
College World Series
Friday at Houston
Game One
ESU 1, Francis Marion 0
FM 000 000 0 — 0 3 0
ESU 010 000 0 — 1 3 1
W — Sheeley. L — Wolf.
E — ESU: Huddleston. DP — ESU 1. LOB — FMU 6, ESU 2. 2B — ESU: Campbell. HBP — FMU: Tyson, Wofford, Reuter. SH — FMU: Tyson, Bendle, Birchmeier; ESU: Huddleston. SB — ESU: Hughes.
Time — 1:25. Att — 378.
Records — FMU 39-16, ESU 46-16.