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Hughes' Walk-Off Home Run Lifts ESU to Victory
EMPORIA, Kan. (ESU Media Relations) -- Abby Hughes hit a walk-off home run on an 0-1 count to give No. 11 Emporia State a 1-0 win over Texas Woman's in the first round of the NCAA Division II Softball South Central Regional Tournament Friday night.
The one run was all ESU would need as the Hornets' Paige Ladenburger faced one over the minimum in tossing her first collegiate no hitter.
Ladenburger and TWU's Carly Case were each perfect until the Hornets' Linda Ketter tripled with two outs in the bottom of the third. She was left at third when Angela Mahan fouled out to left field. Ketter would be the only base runner until Abby Smith singled with one out in the fifth inning. Case got out of the inning with a fly out by Katie Huffman and a ground out by Jenna Potter.
Lyndsey Lipscomb was the Pioneers first base runner when she worked a lead off walk in the sixth inning. Kalli Porter oinch ran for her and was quickly eliminated on a line drive double play by Jessica LaMonica right back at Ladenburger. After getting the first out of the seventh inning Billie Callahan walked. She was thrown out at second when Potter dropped a fly ball in short center by Angie Arebalos for the second out of the inning. Jordan Readicker flew out to center to end the inning and set up Hughes seventh inning heroics for ESU.
Ladenburger struck out five and only walked two in ESU's first no hitter in NCAA Tournament play. Case was nearly as good, giving up just three hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
The Hornets will take on Angelo State in a winner's bracket game at 10 a.m. at the Trusler Sports Complex in Emporia. This is two hours earlier than originally scheduled in order to take advantage of a break in the weather.
Texas Woman's will play Central Oklahoma at 12:30 p.m. in the first elimination game of the day.
