Late homers lift Emporia, 6-3

Friday, February 19

Abilene

6 pm

Abilene Christian

Emporia State

2/19/2010 10:43:01 PM | Softball

ABILENE -- Abby Hughes hit a three-run home run to highlight a four-run top of the seventh inning for Emporia State as the Lady Hornets took a 6-3 win over ACU late Friday night in the CBS Insurance Classic at Wells Field.

The win pushes the Lady Hornets to 4-2 on the season, while the Wildcats fall to 3-5. ACU will be back in action Saturday at 4 p.m. when it takes on Cameron before playing Emporia State at 6 p.m. ACU will conclude its play in the tournament Sunday at 2 p.m. against Henderson State.

The Wildcats rallied from a 2-0 deficit with three runs in the bottom of the third inning, two of them coming home on Stephanie Tingle's two-RBI double that plated Missy Mendoza and Shawna Barrow.

But those three runs were all the offense ACU could muster against Emporia State pitcher Jennifer Heerey, who struck out five Wildcats and allowed just one walk.

ACU freshman pitcher Shelby Hall was just as effective, working seven innings and allowing four runs (two earned) while striking out a pair of Lady Hornets.

However, she allowed the first two batters of the top of the seventh to reach base, and then saw Linda Ketter lay down a sacrifice bunt that put runners at second and third with no outs. Hall was then lifted for Jacque Gregoire, who promptly gave up a three-run home run to Abby Hughes and followed that by giving up a solo shot to Miranda Campbell on the next pitch.

Hall came back into the game and got the Wildcats out of the inning, but the damage was already done. ACU went quietly in the bottom of the seventh as the Wildcats fell to 0-3 in their own tournament.