Emporia High found itself on both ends — the right one and the wrong one — of a pivotal big inning during Friday’s doubleheader against Hayden.
In the first game, the Spartans ripped the Wildcats before fans could even settle in to shiver on a cloudy, windy afternoon at Whittier Park. Emporia pushed home eight runs on six first-inning hits and marched to a run-rule victory, scoring in the bottom of the sixth to end a 12-2 win. Game Two turned in the bottom of the second inning, when Spartan pitching handed Hayden four walks and a hit batter, which combined with four singles gave the Wildcats seven runs on their way to a 12-4 victory.
“I told the girls, ‘Let’s take and build off of what we did here today,’” EHS coach Ray Owens said. “They played a real good first game, and they didn’t give up the second game; they kept battling. And even though we were down, they kept chattering and supporting one another talking and trying to stay in the ballgame.”
Hayden helped the Spartans (2-4) get started in the first inning of Game One, as two errors and a hit batter loaded the bases for Hannah Lynch, who singled home two runs. Lexi Hileman followed with a single, and Megan Burton brought home a run with another single. Between a pair of two-run doubles by Maryann Bennett and Katie Weaver came another RBI single by Whitney Page. The Spartans’ first eight hitters all reached base, and they sent 12 batters to the plate in the opening inning.
“We were just gonna come out with some fire, but we were ready to play,” Bennett said. “We wanted to be out there, we wanted to kick some butt. But I’m not surprised we came out like that. That was the plan.”
Three more runs came in the Spartan fourth. Weaver and Hilary Heinrichs led off with a pair of singles and Lenae Wells walked. Lynch then singled to center to score Weaver, Heinrichs scored when Burton reached on an error and another RBI hit by Bennett plated Lynch. EHS got the game-ending run in the sixth when an error by Hayden right fielder Ashley Wunder on Hileman’s fly ball scored Lynch.
Lynch started on the mound for EHS in Game Two but couldn’t find the plate in the top of the second after two singles to open the inning. She hit Wunder to load the bases, then walked Bri Heinen and Sandy Pelc to force in runs. Owens brought freshman Gabriella Tabares-Bohrer to the mound. Tabares-Bohrer had similar control issues, sandwiching two walks around an RBI single by Hannah Weiler. With Hayden up 5-1, Owens went back to Cassandra Huth, who had given up just five hits in winning Game One.
“I went out there and I talked with Hannah, and she (said), ‘I don’t know what I’m doing; nothing’s working and I can’t throw a strike,’” Owens said. “And of course, I brought Gabby in to give her a shot, and that was probably my fault, because she just walked off (the JV) diamond pitching seven innings.”
Huth went the rest of the way, striking out eight, but Hayden scored in every following inning but the seventh. EHS got a run in its half of the first on an RBI single by Lynch, then added two more in the second and one in the fifth. Bennett had two RBI groundouts in Game Two, giving her five RBIs for the doubleheader. Tabares-Bohrer, who started Game Two at shortstop, shined at the plate, with a single, double and triple in three trips.
The Spartans will travel to Topeka’s Hummer Sports Park on Tuesday to take on Topeka High in a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
Friday at Whittier Park
Game One
Hayden 002 000 — 2 4 5
Emporia 800 301 — 12 11 2
WP — Huth. LP — Heinen.
2B — HAY: Unrein; EMP: Weaver, Bennett.
Game Two
Hayden 071 112 0 — 12 17 2
Emporia 120 100 0 — 4 6 5
WP — Heinen. LP — Lynch.
2B — HAY: Weiler, Heinen, Unrein, Akers; EMP: Tabares-Bohrer. 3B — EMP: Tabares-Bohrer.