April 10, 2016-In a game befitting a top 30 match up, both teams came from behind twice to take a lead, however #26 Central Missouri got the final comeback against #11 Emporia State in a 7-5 Mules victory.
GETTING HIT
The Mules got on the board in the first inning when Matt Elliott was hit by a pitch to lead off and Jake Alexander delivered an RBI single for a 1-0 lead. Evan Koehler was hit to lead off the fourth for the Hornets followed by a Dalton Wheat single. Tucker Perkins tried to sacrifice them over but instead was able to get on base when Mules starter Carlos D'Armas threw the ball away on the attempt and allowed Koehler to score. With runners on second and third BJ Dean lifted a sac fly to right that scored Wheat and gave the Hornets a 2-1 lead.Â
LOTS OF BASE RUNNERS
Central Missouri came right back in the bottom of the fourth when Bennett Oliver tripled and Derek Cornell hit a home run to right center to put the Mules up 3-2. Elliott tripled with one out in the bottom of the fifth to chase Hornet starter Matt Slauter in favor of Garrett Brummett. Normally the Hornet closer, Brummett got a ground ball that Levi Ashmore was able to throw Elliott out at the plate and after a walk ended the inning with another ground out. Central Missouri received two walks to start the sixth but after a sac bunt moved them over, Brummett got a strike out and ground out to end the threat.
In the top of the seventh Taylor Steen worked a one out walk and Daniel LaMunyon was hit by a pitch against UCM reliever Andy Muehlberger. Lucas Williams came on to face Wade Hanna who promptly got a single to load the bases. Koehler and Wheat both then struck out to leave the bases loaded. Central Missouri added a run in the bottom of the seventh. Elliott led off with a single and went to second on Alexander's one out single. After a ground out moved the runners over, the Hornets intentionally walked Cornell to load the bases. Cole Distler walked to drive in a run before Brummett got a strikeout to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.
EIGHTH INNING SCORING
Emporia State rallied in the eighth starting with a walk by Perkins. Dean followed with a single to left and Ashmore reached when his bunt attempt got all the way to short to load the bases. Alex White then hit a single deep in the hole at short to drive in Perkins and keep the bases loaded. Derek Francis pinch hit for Steen and delivered a two run single to left to give the Hornets a 5-4 lead with no outs. LaMunyon sacrificed the runners over and Hanna hit a line drive that was to shallow to allow White to score from third. The Mule then brought in Grant Gavin who got a strike out to end the inning.
Shane Davies came on in relief of Brummett, who had worked 2.2 innings already, to start the eighth. Jackson Schnurbusch singled on the first pitch and then went to second on a sac bunt. Elliott roped a triple into the gap in right center to tie the game and came home on a single by Dylan Farrell. Alexander then reached on an infield single and Jacob Tetuan came in to relieve Davies. Tetuan got a ground ball for the second out and with first base open Emporia State again intentionally walked Cornell. Tetuan got ahead 0-2 on Distler before he worked his third straight walk and second with the bases loaded to give the Mules an insurance run for the final score of 7-5.
THE NUMBERS
Alex White was two for three with an RBI while Derek Francis had a two RBI single in his only at bat. BJ Dean was one for three with an RBI, a run scored and a hit by pitch. Â As a team Emporia State stranded ten base runners, with five of them in the last three innings.
Matt Slauter started and went 4.1 innings allowing three runs on five hits. Brummett worked 2.2 innings and allowe one run on two hits but had five walks. Shane Davies took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in a third of an inning.
UP NEXT
The Hornet return home for a four game home stand starting on Wednesday, April 13 against Washburn. First pitch for the Turnpike Tussle is set for 5:00 p.m. at the Trusler Sports Complex. Sluggerrr from the World Champion Kansas City Royals will be on had as part of Chamber Night at the Ballpark.
