March 18, 2016-Emporia State got another quality outing from their starting pitching and shut out relief from their bullpen in a 6-2 win over Ft. Hays State on Friday at the Trusler Sports Complex.
SETTING THE TONE
Starter Tyler Stubblefield struck out the first three Ft. Hays State batters in the top of the first to set the tone for the night. The Hornets got back to back walks with one out in the bottom of the inning and scored the first run when Wade Hanna scored as BJ Dean reached on a throwing error from the Tigers second baseman. Dalton Wheat then beat out a bunt that allowed Evan Koehler to score for a 2-0 lead.
ADDING MORE
The Hornets added a pair of runs on RBI singles from Taylor Steen and Ryan McBroom in the fourth to go up 4-0. Back to back wild pitches allowed the Hornets to go up 5-0 in the sixth inning.
ON THE BOARD
After seven shut out innings, the Tigers finally got to Stubblefield in the eighth. They opened the inning with two singles sandwiched around a walk to load the bases. Stubblefield got a comebacker to the mound and a fource out at home for the first out of the inning. He almost got out of the inning with no damage by enticing a ground ball to short that wasn't quite hard enough to allow for a double play as the first Ft. Hays State run scored. A single brought in another run for the Tigers and Jacob Tetuan in from the bullpen for the Hornets. He ended the inning with another ground ball to keep the Hornets in front 5-2.
ANSWERING
The Hornets answered the Tigers two runs in the top of the eighth with one of their own in the bottom of the frame. With two outs Daniel LaMunyon, BJ Dean and Dalton Wheat hit back to back to back singles with Wheat's scoring Dalton to give the Hornets a 6-2 lead going into the ninth. Garrett Brummett came in and worked a perfect ninth, ending the game with a strike out as the Hornets improved to 16-5 overall and 8-2 in the MIAA.
THE NUMBERS
Dalton Wheat was two for four with two RBI and a run scored. The first six batters in the Hornet lineup all scored one run. Tyler Stubblefield worked 7.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
With the win Bob Fornelli, joined Dave Bingham as just the second Emporia State coach with 500 wins at the school. He is now 500-215 in his 13th season at Emporia State and 806-328 in 20 years combined at both Emporia State and Ft. Hays State.
UP NEXT
The #19 Hornets and Tigers play game two of the three game series on Saturday afternoon at Trusler. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
