The Emporia State athletics department wrapped February with another busy weekend of action.
The Emporia State indoor track and field teams were in Pittsburg for the MIAA Championships all weekend. Three Lady Hornets scored points in the women’s pentathlon. Isabella Davie had the third-best score in ESU history and finished fifth on Friday with a provisional qualifying score. On Saturday, Luke Grace finished second in the heptathlon. On Sunday, freshman Stella Agbokpah set another school record in the 60m dash and placed third. She was the conference runner-up in the 200m with the second-best time in school history behind her own school record. The Hornet team of Braden Lipgens, Alden Mollerus, Andrew Holton, and Emmanuel Dukpe finished second in the men’s 4x400m relay. Ezekiel Seamster finished third in the 200m dash. Any Hornets or Lady Hornets with a provisional qualifying mark from throughout the season will now wait to see if they are selected for the NCAA Indoor Championships beginning March 12. The Pittsburg State women claimed their fifth consecutive indoor title while the Gorilla men claimed their sixth-straight title. The Hornets finished seventh while the Lady Hornets were eighth.
The Emporia State baseball team split a doubleheader in their home-opener series to Northwest Missouri at the Trusler Sports Complex on Saturday. ESU blanked the Bearcats to level the series at a game apiece with a 5-0 shutout in the first game on Saturday. Dylan Brisbois put the Black & Gold in front with a three-run homer in the second before Cooper Schwindt tacked on solo homers in the fourth and seventh. Freshman Colby Deaver (5-0) pitched another gem scattering four hits with six strikeouts in an eight-inning victory. A big early inning held up for the Bearcats in the series finale as Northwest took the series with a 4-3 victory in the second game of the day. Frankie Santiago started the game with a solo shot in the first, but Northwest took the lead with three in the second. The Hornets got one back in the fourth on a sacrifice fly before the ‘Cats added an insurance run in the ninth. ESU pushed a run across on a ground out in the bottom of the ninth but couldn’t tie the game. Quinton Chindamo (0-1) finished six innings allowing just one earned run on six hits but was outdueled to take the loss. ESU (13-3, 4-2 MIAA) returns to action Friday to host a three-game set with Pittsburg State. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
The Emporia State softball team played twice Saturday going 1-1 at the Midwest College Classic in Shawnee, Kan. ESU blanked Maryville 6-0 to start the day Saturday morning. Elina Bartlett started the offense with a two-run homer in the second. Brooke Flewelling cranked her eighth home run of the year to add to the lead and Karli Wehunt plated two with a sixth-inning single. Hannah Butterbaugh (7-1) scattered seven hits in her complete game victory as she struck out five Saints. The Lady Hornets fell in their second game of the day in a 7-4 defeat to former MIAA rival Southwest Baptist. Flewelling and Avery Brewer each produced RBI singles in the top of the first before E-State scored again in the top of the second on a Bearcat throwing error. SBU took the lead with four runs in the second before Flewelling got one back by smashing her ninth home run of the season. A two-run SBU homer re-extended the lead and ESU couldn’t score again. Morgan Tomlinson (1-1) was tagged for eight hits and surrendered two runs in her 3.2 innings of relief to take the loss. Two games set for Sunday were rained out. ESU (11-6) continues nonconference play on Sunday, March 8 and celebrates Opening Day at the Trusler Sports Complex with doubleheader against Augustana. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
The Emporia State men’s disc golf team dominated again at the Jayhawk Boom at Bloom at the Bloomington Disc Golf Course at Clinton Lake in Lawrence, Kan. on Saturday. Carter Ahrens won the Division I men’s singles title by two strokes over his teammate T. J. Reel by two strokes. Tyler Ahrens was three shots back and tied for fourth while Micah Tatro finished sixth. The four combined to shoot -15 in the team competition and win by eight strokes over Wichita State. The Hornets swept the podium in the Division II men’s competition with Isaiah Esquivel and Joshua Sterner each shooting -6 to win the event with Grant Yoder finishing three-strokes back in third. Those three combined with Caden Stucky to win the team competition by four shots the KU Blue team. The ESU women held an intrasquad meet. ESU returns to action in late March for a conference meet at Wichita State.
