The Emporia State softball team went 1-1 against Northwest Missouri on Saturday at the Trusler Sports Complex in Emporia. ESU used a four-run fifth inning to prevail 7-3 in game one. ESU scored their first run without a hit as Emma Furnish was manufactured around the bases after being hit by a pitch. The Bearcats took the lead in the fourth thanks to two home runs, but ESU came back to tie the game with a two-out two-run single by McKensy Glass. ESU then blew the game open with five hits in the fifth to score four runs including an RBI triple by Alexis Dial and a two-run homer by Furnish. Jayda VanAckeren (7-2) tossed 3.1 innings of scoreless relief and allowed just one Bearcat hit to earn the win. Furnish talked about her big hit in game one.
Assistant coach Megan Hill is hoping that the strong performance by VanAckeren will help restore her confidence.
The Lady Hornets had two late opportunities but couldn’t sweep in a 2-1 loss to Northwest in game two. ESU scored early with a run in the first as an Emma Furnish bunt scored Alexis Dial. The Bearcats took the lead 2-1 through four before ESU had runners on second and third in both the fifth and the seventh with only one out and couldn’t score. E-State started the fifth with back-to-back walks and eventually loaded the bases when Josie Harrison hit a line drive to center that was caught on a dive by the Bearcats to end the threat. In the seventh, the Bearcats cut the tying run down at the plate before an ESU pop up ended the game. ESU wraps up the weekend 24-15 and is 8-8 in the MIAA. ESU heads west to face Fort Hays State in a doubleheader Friday beginning at 2:00 p.m.
