Baseball | 2/4/2013 2:58:00 PM
Box Score Box Score in html
February 4, 2013-The #40 Emporia State baseball dropped their third game of the Astros In Action Division II Invitational 12-4 to Arkansas Tech on Monday morning.
The Hornets fell behind 2-0 after half an inning on a two run home run by the Wonder Boys Cole Fergus. Emporia State responded with two of their own in the bottom of the first. Blake Sturgeon led off with a walk and Eric Dawson followed with a single. Aaron Rea's ground out scored Sturgeon and Ashton McCoy singled in Dawson to tie the score.
ATU scored three runs in the top of the second on four hits, an error and a balk to go ahead 5-2 and chase starter Andrew Polly. Dylan McEwin got out of the inning with a strike out and batter's interference call but the Wonder Boys would score three more in the third take an 8-2 lead.
After giving up the two runs in the first, ATU's Danny Parker settled in and at one point retired 12 straight Hornets from the second through sixth innings. The Hornets Zach Gove and Matt Hinckley matched him from the fourth through the sixth innings as they allowed only two hits and faced just one over the minimum in that time.
The Wonder Boys added a run in the top of the seventh to go up 9-2 before the Hornet bats woke up a bit. Rea led off with a double and after a Jordan Slade walk scored on Luke Slagle's single up the middle. Slade then scored on Andrew Blackwell's pinch hit sigle to pull Emporia State within 9-4.
Arkansas Tech added three runs on a pair of doubles in the top of the ninth to make the final score 12-4.
Polly took the loss for Emporia State giving up five runs on six hits in 1.1 innings. Keith Picht had four strike outs in 2.0 innings but gave up the final three runs of the game in the ninth. Dawson and Slagle both went two for four as Dawson scored a run and Slagle had an RBI. Rea was one for four with an RBI and run scored while McCoy went one for four with an RBI.
The Hornets are now off for two weeks before they start MIAA play against Missouri Western. First pitch of the three game series at the Trusler Sports Complex is set for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 16. Next weekend Emporia State will hold their annual Alumni Game on Sunday, Feb. 10 at Trusler.
