Emporia State athletics completed a successful weekend on Sunday.
The Lady Hornet softball team set the tone on Saturday by sweeping Northeastern State. The first game was a shootout with ESU prevailing 12-10 despite being outhit 13-9 by the RiverHawks. Trailing 7-5 going into the sixth, ESU outscored NSU 8-3 the rest of the way including a five-run sixth inning highlighted by a bases-clearing double by catcher Ally Miller who went 3-for-5 with six RBIs in the game while third baseman Brooke Flewelling went 2-for-4 and drove in four including a seventh-inning two-run homer. The Lady Hornets wasted no time getting started in game two in an 8-o run rule in five innings. ESU pounded out six runs in the first on five hits. Jordan Harrison (8-2) tossed a gem in a a complete-game two-hit five-inning shutout. The Lady Hornets (16-9, 2-2 MIAA) step back out of conference play for The Spring Games in Clermont, Florida beginning Friday afternoon.
The Top 50 Emporia State tennis teams picked up ranked wins in a sweep over Rockhurst on Saturday at the Kossover Family Tennis Center in Emporia. The #50 Lady Hornets picked up their first ranked win in the CyCy Peroche era in a 4-3 comeback win over the #38 Hawks. ESU picked up victories at #2 and #3 doubles to take the doubles point. The Lady Hornets picked up singles wins from Perla Conde (#3 singles), Lilie Bizouerne (#4) and Paige Stranghoner (#6) to win the match.
Meanwhile the #28 Hornets beat #31 Rockhurst in a convincing 6-1 decision. The Hornet men never trailed with wins at #1 and #2 doubles setting the tone early. ESU then charged through the singles matches with #33 Anton Sarunic picking up an upset win over the #11 ranked player in the country in straight sets. ESU went 5-1 in singles play to earn the win.
The Lady Hornets returned to the court Sunday and thumped William Jewell 7-0. ESU (5-2) swept the doubles point giving up just four games in the match and won their five singles matches in straight sets with the Cardinals unable to field a full team. The Hornet men returned Sunday and improved to 7-1 on the year with a 5-2 victory over Jewell. ESU started behind after dropping the doubles point but Diego Calvo set the tone at #3 singles by destroying his opponent without dropping a game in two sets. Alexis Mattenberger gave ESU the lead winning after his opponent retired at #2 singles before ESU fell at #1 singles. The Hornets closed out the match with three consecutive singles victories in straight sets. ESU returns to action Tuesday to host Cowley County in a doubleheader.
Hornet baseball stayed hot over the weekend building their winning streak to three with an 8-2 win over Hillsdale Saturday and an 18-5 thrashing of the host Maryville on Sunday. The Hornets scored early and often against Hillsdale with two runs in each of the first four innings of the game as neither team was able to push a score across in the final four and a half innings. Dominic Felix went 3-for-4 for ESU while Cooper Schwindt and Noah Steele each drove in two runs. Against the Saints Sunday, ESU had three five-run innings on the way to a 14-hit effort. The Hornets cracked three home runs from Peyton Lewis, Logan Myers and Brady Unrein as Lewis and Unrein led the way with three RBIs each. ESU (8-9) steps back into MIAA action Friday hosting Rogers State for a three-game series.
