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#22 HORNETS SWEEP JENNIES

ESU 3, UCM 0
ESU 5, UCM 3 (10)

April 19, 2008-Samantha Sheeley pitched 11.0 innings of shut out softball as #22 Emporia State won twice at Central Missouri on Saturday afternoon. She threw a complete game three hitter in the 3-0 ESU win in the matinee and came on to toss 4.0 innings of no hit relief in ESU’s 5-3, ten inning win in the night cap.

Game one pitted two of the top pitchers in the MIAA in Sheeley and UCM’s Megan Leonard against each other. Neither allowed a run through the first five innings. ESU finally broke through in the sixth thanks to an RBI double by Miranda Campbell followed with an RBI single by April Huddleston. With two outs in the seventh, Jessie Wiard reached on an error and stole her third base of the game. She scored the final run of the game on Angela Mahan’s triple to give ESU a 3-0 lead. Sheeley scattered three hits and struck out 11 while walking just three to pick up her second straight shutout win.

ESU took an early lead in the night cap after Miranda Campbell doubled and later scored on a Shelbe Hughes sacrifice fly in the second inning. Their second run came when Aubree Brattin scored from second when Wiard forced a Kristal Holland error. Tarese Ely-Myers gave the Jennies the lead with a two run homer in the fourth that capped a three run inning. With ESU needing a run to tie in the seventh, pinch hitter Jill Peters worked a walk off of Leonard, who had come on in relief to start the frame. Wiard reached when she was hit by a pitch. Mahan advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt to but runners on second and third with one out. After a Jennifer Dace strike out, UCM intentionally walked Campbell to load the bases with two out. The Hornets tied the game when Huddleston worked an RBI walk. Sheeley then came on in relief of Megan Dennis and struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings.

After neither team scored in the eighth or ninth, Dace was placed on second to start the tenth in the international tiebreaker. She was caught trying to steal third and Campbell flied out to right before Huddleston doubled to left with two outs. Mandi Dennis pinch ran for her and scored on Hughes’ double to left center to give ESU a 4-3 lead. The Hornets scored an insurance run when Abby Smith’s single plated Hughes and chased Leonard from the game. Sheeley then retired the Jennies in order in the bottom of the inning with two strike outs and a pop up.

With the win ESU moves to 30-13 overall and 9-1 in the MIAA. The Hornets will travel to Kirksville, Mo. on Sunday for a double header against Truman.

NOTES:

Jessie Wiard’s three stolen bases in the first game allowed her to tie the ESU single season record for stolen bases with 37 on the season. She has not been caught stealing this season.

UCM was ranked #2 and ESU #3 in the latest NCAA Division II North Central Regional Rankings.

###HORNETS###