The Emporia State softball team fell in their final game of the Lone Star Classic to start the season 4-1 on Sunday in Mansfield, Texas. The Lady Hornets opened Sunday morning with a 7-2 victory over Eastern New Mexico to run their winning streak to four to open the year. ESU went up early on a bases loaded walk before Ally Miller singled in two runs in the third. After giving up a run in the sixth, Brooke Flewelling and Avery Brewer each homered in the sixth as part of a four-run barrage to put the game out of reach. Hannah Butterbaugh (2-0) pitched four innings in relief striking out four to get the win.
In game two, for the first time in the season, ESU couldn’t find a big inning and fell 2-1 to Southern Arkansas in the second game of their Sunday doubleheader. The Muleriders held a 2-0 lead into the top of the seventh when the Black & Gold finally cracked the scoreboard on another Flewelling home run, but ESU stranded 10 runners in the game including the bases loaded in the seventh. Chloe Wilson (1-1) went four innings but gave up both runs to take the loss.
ESU (5-1) heads back to the Alvy Early Memorial Classic in Bentonville, Ark. beginning with two games on Friday.
