HORNETS WIN TOURNAMENT TURNPIKE TUSSLE WITH 12-4 WIN OVER WASHBURN

May 13, 2016-After falling behind in the first two innings of their last four games, Emporia State exploded for seven runs in the top of the first on the way to a 12-4 win over Washburn in the second round of the MIAA Baseball Tournament.
 
Dalton Wheat started things with a walk and went to second on a sac bunt by Jonny Hodges.  After a fly out from Derek Francis the next seven Hornets reached base.  Evan Koehler was hit by a pitch and Tucker Perkins singled to left to drive in Wheat.  Wade Hanna walked to load the bases and Levi Ashmore drove in the second run with a walk.  Perkins came home on a wild pitch before Daniel LaMunyon continued his hot hitting in the tournament with a two run single to center.  Braxon Byfield singled to put runners at the corners as Wheat came up for the second time in the inning.  Wheat extended his hitting streak to 23 games with an RBI double into the corner in right before Byfield scored the seventh run on the second wild pitch of the inning.
 
That was more than enough for Hornet starter Garrett Brummett who allowed just two hits over the first four innings and just two runs on five hits in 7.0 innings.
 
Washburn got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the fifth but the Hornets responded with three runs in the top of the seventh. Francis walked to lead off the inning and went to second when Koehler was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game.  Ryan McBroom then pushed a bunt to short to load the bases.  Hanna drove in Francis with a ground out and with first base open Ashmore was intentionally walked to load the bases.  LaMunyon got another RBI when he walked and Byfield drove in McBroom when his grounder to third was turned into a force out.
 
Trey Taylor relieved Brummett to start the eighth and gave up two runs on three hits and two sac flies before Shane Davies came in to get the final out of the inning.  Emporia State again answered the Washburn runs with two of their own in the top of the ninth.  McBroom reached on an error at third and Hanna was hit by a pitch to open the inning.  A sac bunt put runners in scoring position for LaMunyon who singled for his fourth hit and fourth RBI of the game.  Byfield finished the scoring with an RBI single to give the Hornets a 12-4 lead. Davies finished out the game allowing, just a two out single in the ninth.
 
LaMunyon was four for four with four RBI and a run scored and is now six for nine in the tournament.  Byfield went three for five with two RBI and a run scored and Perkins was two for three with a run and an RBI.
 
Brummett improved to 6-2 with his longest outing of the season.  He gave up two runs on five hits with a walk and eight strikeouts in 7.0 innings.
 
Emporia State will play next at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Lou Brock Sports Complex in St. Charles, Mo.  Their opponent will be the winner of an elimination game between Northwest Missouri and the loser of the late game on Friday either Central Missouri or Missouri Western.