FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2009

Lions split with Emporia State

Game One Box | Game Two Box

Joplin, Mo. - Megan Roark had three hits in game one, and the Lions hit three homers in game two, but split with the visiting Emporia State Hornets today, taking game one 3-2 and dropping the nightcap 5-4.

Southern (14-27, 4-4 MIAA) got a big pitching performance from Tara Kuykendall in game one. The redshirt freshman went the distance, throwing 100 pitches, striking out five and walking just one.

Emporia (25-10, 6-2 MIAA) scored a run in the top of the first, but the Lions tied it up with run of their own in the bottom half of the inning, when Andrea Childs scored on a Trish Washburn grounder.

Southern went up 2-1 in the fourth when Lauren Hasty singled through the right side, scoring Roark. After another ESU run in the fifth, the Lions went ahead for good in the sixth when Brooke Hurley scored after Hasty reached on an error.

In game two, the Lions saw Hurley and Kelli Bax hit back-to-back homers and Hasty add a long bomb of her own, but fell 5-4 to the Hornets.

Kelsey Williams started for the Lions and went four innings, allowing four earned runs, while striking out three. Vanessa Elmore pitched a solid three innings of relief, shutting out the Hornets and holding them to just one hit, while striking out four and walking none.

The Lions had five players with a hit each.

Southern will continue its conference weekend with a pair of games against Washburn at 1 pm. The day will be senior day for the Lions two graduating seniors, Andrea Childs and Lauryn Berger.