February 18, 2017-For the second straight Saturday the #30 Hornet baseball team had to come from behind for a win, this time with a 9-8 walk off victory over #35 Missouri S&T at Glennen Field in the Trusler Sports Complex.
Emporia State fell behind 2-0 in the first on a two run double by the Miners Adam Richter. The Hornets got on the board with an unearned run in the second when Daniel LaMunyon led off with a double and scored when Ryan McBroom's ground ball to short with two outs was misplayed. Emporia State tied the score in the third on a Kaden Shaffer single that plated Levi Ashmore.
Missouri S&T scored five unearned runs in the fourth inning to go up 7-2. Richter led off with a single and went to second on another single by Matt Knickerbocker. The Miners loaded the bases on a fielding error by LaMunyon at third and then scored two runs when Ashmore had a throwing error trying to start a double play at second. An Eli Miller double made it 5-2 and Lucas Swindle drove in two more with a single to give S&T a five run lead.
McBroom hit a home run to right center in the fourth and Mason Brown sent a line drive over the wall in right with Ashmore on base in the fifth inning to make it 7-5. The Miners manufactured a run in the top of the seventh with a single, walk, sac bunt and sac fly to take an 8-5 lead. The Hornets got the run right back in the bottom of the seventh when Ashmore led off with a triple and scored on Brown's sac fly.
The Hornets were still trailing 8-6 going to the bottom of the ninth. Brown worked a one out walk and with two outs Shaffer got another walk to put the tying run on base. Tucker Perkins pinch hit for LaMunyon and laced a single to center that looked like it was going to load the bases. However Miller mishandled the ball and it rolled all the way to the wall allowing Brown and Shaffer to score and Perkins to reach third. Alex White then dropped a bloop single between the second baseman and right fielder for the walk off win.
Ashmore went four for five with three runs scored on a triple and three singles. Brown was one for three with three RBI, two runs scored, a homer and a walk.
Taylor Thompson picked up the win in relief as he struck out two of three batters he faced in a perfect ninth inning. Layne Downing had worked 4.0 innings in relief of starter Nathan Gieber, allowing one run on one hit.
The Hornets and Miners will wrap up their three game series on Sunday with another single game. First pitch from the Trusler Sports Complex is set for 12 noon.
