April 14, 2015-Every starter reached base as Emporia State pounded out 19 hits, were hit three times, had two walks and twice reached on errors in a 15-7 win over Washburn on Tuesday in Topeka. The non-conference win gave the Hornets a 4-2 advantage over the Ichabods on the season.
Emporia State scored early and often in the game with Dalton Wheat getting a one out triple in the first and coming home on an error by the Washburn first baseman Luke Dimick. The Ichabods answered with three runs in the bottom of the first off starter Jagger Harjo. The Hornets responded with a five spot of their own in the top of the second. Emporia State loaded the bases on a single, a hit batter and an error before an RBI fielder's choice by Jordan Hodges. Levi Parker followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3. Justin Harris extended his hitting streak to 22 games and gave the Hornets a 5-3 lead with two run double and would eventually come around to score on an RBI fielder's choice by Dean Long.
Harjo came out and threw a shutdown inning in the bottom of the second, not allowing a ball into fair territory as he struck out the first two batters before a foul out to the catcher ended the inning. Wade Hanna kept the pressure on offensively as he led off the top of the third with a double, went to third on a sac bunt and scored on a sacrifice fly by Price Jacobs. Harjo then put another zero on the board for WU in the bottom of the third before the Hornets added two more runs in the top of the fourth. Long doubled in Wheat and Evan Koehler singled in Long during the inning as Emporia State took a 9-3 lead.
Washburn scored three run in the bottom of the fourth and had a runner in scoring position when Harjo got Kyle Carnahan to strike out to end the inning. A Price Jacobs single was all the Hornets would get in the top of the fifth as they were held scoreless for the first time in seven innings against the Ichabods over two games. Washburn cut the lead to 9-7 with two outs in the bottom of the fifth when Jarrod Miller relieved Harjo. Miller gave up a single and a walk to load the bases before getting a ground out by the Ichabods lead off hitter Riley Krane to end the inning.
Emporia State added two runs in the top of the sixth on a single by Wheat and a two run home run by Long, his 15th of the season. Miller gave up a two out single in the bottom of the sixth before striking out Connor Crimmins to end the inning. Tory Bell got a pinch hit double to lead off the seventh and his pinch runner Jacob Tetuan scored on single from Harris to give the Hornets a 12-7 lead.
The Hornet bullpen then went to work as Garrett Bane, Travis Hendry and Shawn Talkington all worked perfect innings to close out the game. The trio combined for five groundouts and four strike outs over the final 3.0 innings. Emporia State added three runs in the top of the ninth. Parker walked and Harris had another double before Wheat hit his second triple of the game to drive them both in. Long then picked up his fifth RBI of the game on a ground out for the final score of the game.
Wheat was five for five with two triples, four runs scored and two RBI. He is eight for 11 since coming back from an injury three games ago. Long went two for six with a double, a homer, five RBI and two runs scored. Harris was three for six with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored.
Harjo pitched 4.2 innings, giving up seven runs on ten hits with four strikeouts. Miller was credited with the win as he pitched 1.1 innings and only gave up two hits.
Emporia State will return to MIAA play this weekend at Ft. Hays State. The four game series is scheduled to start on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. in Larks Park in Hays, Kan. The Hornets single non-conference game with Central Missouri scheduled for Wednesday has been canceled since UCM had to move their MIAA series start against Northeastern State to Thursday due to the threat of inclement weather in Warrensburg over the weekend.
