Baseball | 3/30/2014 10:10:00 PM
Box Score Box Score in htmlMarch 30, 2014-The Emporia State baseball team grounded into two double plays and still stranded seven runners in a 6-3 loss at Ft. Hays State on Sunday. With the loss the Hornets split their fourth MIAA series in six conference meetings this year.
The Tigers scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first to take a lead for the fourth time in the series. They added single runs in the second and third before the Hornets got on the board. Toby Cornejo led off the top of the fourth with single to center and went to third when the ball got away from the centerfielder. He would score on Wade Hanna's ground out to make it 3-1 going to the bottom of the fourth. Ft. Hays State got that run back in the bottom of the fourth before Dean Long hit a two run homer in the top of the fifth to pull Emporia State within a run at 4-3.
Travis Hendry came on in relief of starter Dakota McKaskle in the bottom of the sixth and made it four in a row in the bottom of the seventh before giving up a walk and a single to the Tigers. Hendry then picked up his fifth strikeout before allowing a two run double to Kevin Czarnecki that put Ft. Hays State back up by three runs. Hanna and pinch hitter Zach Stucky both reached to start the ninth and bring the tying run to the plate with no outs. But a foul out and ground ball double play ended the threat and gave the Tigers the win.
The Hornets, who remain in thrid place in the MIAA, are back in action on Tuesday, April 1 when they play host to Central Missouri in non-conference action. The single nine inning game is set to begin at 5:00 p.m. at Glenne Field in the Trusler Sports Complex.
