Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Emporia, Kan. - The Southwest Baptist University softball team put up 18 runs in a double-header split at Emporia State on Friday. The Bearcats fell in game one 7-6 before coming back to take game two 12-4. At the conclusion of the day, SBU now stands at 14-26 (6-10 MIAA) on the season.

In game two the Bearcats jumped ahead early, taking a 1-0 lead when Dana Graves hit a solo homerun to left field in the top of the second. After holding ESU scoreless in the bottom half of the inning, the Bearcats opened the game up with a six run third. Yezzania Gonzalez led the inning off with a single to left field, advanced to second on an error, and moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt. Rachel Ray then drew a one out walk, stole second, followed by a two-rbi single from Catlin Evans to left field which gave SBU a 3-0 lead. Kaley Hansen then hit an rbi single up the middle, followed by a single from Graves, and a two-rbi double by Stef Lischke to push the lead to 6-0. The Bearcat tacked on one more off of an rbi single from Caitlyn Cooner to left field to extend their lead to 7-0.

Emporia State responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, but a solo homerun by Evans gave SBU an 8-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth. ESU got one run back, but the Bearcats would put up four runs in the top of the fifth. After an out to open up the inning, the Bearcats had singles from Cooner and Lyndie Routh, followed by a walk from Gonzalez to load the bases. Kori Hillenburg then hit a two-rbi double to left center, followed two batters later by an Evans two-rbi triple to left center to give the Bearcats a 12-4 lead. The Bearcats held the Lady Hornets scoreless in the bottom half of the inning as SBU earned the 12-4 run-rule victory.

In game one ESU took a 4-0 lead after the first inning of play, but SBU responded with a pair of runs the following inning. With one out, Lischke reached on an ESU error and came home on a Cooner triple down the right field line. Cooner then came home on another ESU error as the Bearcats trailed 4-2 heading into the bottom half of the inning. The Lady Hornets added two more runs over the next two innings to take a 6-2 lead before the Bearcats came back to tie the game at 6-6 in the fifth. The Bearcats loaded the bases in the top of the fifth with singles from Hillenburg, Ray, and Hansen with one out. Graves then hit a two-rbi double to right field, followed by a two-rbi single to right center by Lischke to tie the game at 6-6. However, Emporia State responded in the bottom half of the inning with a run, as SBU would eventually fall 7-6.

The Bearcats will return to action on Saturday, April 2 when they travel to Washburn. Opening pitch of game one of the double-header is set for 1:00 p.m. from Topeka, Kansas.