Baseball | 4/29/2013 10:25:00 PM
Box Score
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April 29, 2013-For the second time in three games Emporia State scored in first but could not hold on for the win as the Hornets fell 5-2 at #7 Central Missouri. With the loss Emporia State drops from the third to the fifth seed in the MIAA Tournament and will travel to Central Oklahoma on Thursday for the Opening Round Series.
Blake Sturgeon started thing for the Hornets with a one out single in the first inning. Aaron Rea followed with a double down the left field line to put runners at second and third. Eric Dawson gave Emporia State a 1-0 lead with the first of his three singles on the night. Ashton McCoy then gave the Hornets a 2-0 lead with a sac fly.
The Mules cut the lead in half on a RBI single from Chase Graskewicz in the second and tied it on an RBI ground out by Trevor Jones in the third. Central took the lead on an RBI single from Kevin Gratza in the fourth inning. They added an insurance run in the seventh without getting a hit. Samuel Dominique was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and went to second as Jones reached on a throwing error by Hornet starter Brenton Higgins on a sacrifice attempt. Both runners were sacrificed over a base and Dominque came home an sac fly from Brad Wilson. Jon Cotter drove in the final run with an RBI single in the eighth.
Emporia State had base runners in every inning except the sixth and stranded nine for the game. Six times runners were left on in scoring position as the Hornets only had consecutive base runners only once in the final eight innings.
Higgins took the loss, allowing four runs, three of them earned, on seven hits in 7.0 innings. Dawson was three for four with an RBI while Sturgeon went two for five with a run scored.
Emporia State will travel to Edmond, Okla. on Thursday to take on Central Oklahoma in a best two out of three Opening Round Series. First pitch of the single game on May 2 is set for 2:30 p.m. with the second game of the series set for 2:30 p.m. on Friday, May 3. An if needed game will be played on Saturday, May 4 at 1 p.m. The Hornets and Bronchos split the season series with each team winning two games on their home field.
