The Emporia State softball team waited 48 hours to finish a Senior Day sweep over #24 Washburn by completing a 5-4 victory on Monday afternoon at the Trusler Sports Complex. The game was started on Saturday and was halted in the bottom of the sixth due to lightning. ESU scored first on an RBI hit by senior Alexis Dial in the bottom of the first inning. Washburn came back to take the lead with two in the second and tacked on a run in the fourth. Dial delivered again in the fifth with a bases-clearing double to put ESU in front 4-3. In the bottom of the sixth, lightning struck in Emporia and the game was stopped for 58 minutes before being halted and suspended to Monday afternoon.
After resuming the game and the Lady Hornets getting out in order, Washburn led off the seventh with a solo home run by Marrit Mead to tie the game. ESU was scoreless in the bottom of the inning and Washburn started the eighth with a leadoff double and had runners on first and third with just one out. Catcher Bailey Flewelling threw out a Washburn runner at second and ESU caught the runner on third in a rundown before Flewelling tagged her out at third to end the inning. With two outs in the eighth, Brooke Flewelling cranked a line drive over the left fielder’s head to drive in the winning run. Assistant coach Megan Hill says the team has plenty of momentum heading into the conference tournament.
Dial said the team tried to keep its momentum despite the 48-hour layoff.
ESU improves to 31-19 overall and ends the year 14-12 in the MIAA. The Hornets are the No. 6 seed in the MIAA Tournament and will face #5 and No. 3 seed Central Oklahoma in the quarterfinals Thursday. UCO is the tournament host in Edmond, Okla. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m.
