The Emporia State softball team celebrated an Opening Day sweep at the Trusler Sports Complex in Emporia on Sunday.
ESU opened up their first home action of the year winning a 10-6 slugfest over Augustana. The Vikings scored five in the second to take the lead, but ESU answered with the next ten runs. ESU chipped away with two groundouts ahead of a Taryn Burkhardt double to score three in the second before Addison Callaway singled in a run in the third while Kinsey Perine doubled to tie the game. ESU took the lead on a Callaway sacrifice fly in the fifth. Brynley Smith cranked a home run to left in the sixth to cap ESU’s scoring. Chloe Wilson (3-1) pitched 3.2 innings of effective relief allowing four hits and no runs to pick up the win while Izzy Sloan earned her third save.
Callaway was the hero in game two with two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth that turned out to be the game-winner in a 3-2 victory over the Vikings to sweep the doubleheader. ESU went up 1-0 in the first on a Brooke Flewelling double, but couldn’t score again until Callaway’s heroics in the sixth. Hannah Butterbaugh pitched 5.2 innings allowing both Viking runs but earned a no decision. Sloan (1-0) got the last four outs to pick up her first win. Interim head coach Megan Hill said it was nice to play well at home.
Callaway said her go-ahead home run wasn’t a perfect swing, but it worked out in the end.
ESU (13-6) opens MIAA action on Friday hosting Rogers State. First pitch for the doubleheader is set for 2:00 p.m.
