February 27, 2017 - The #30 Hornet baseball team completed their sweep of Pittsburg State with an 8-6 win Monday afternoon. Emporia State is now 10-2 on the season and 3-0 in MIAA play.
Both teams were scoreless through the first two innings before Emporia State took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Tate Kastens doubled to right field to score Wade Hanna followed by a Jonny Hodges sac bunt to move Kastens to third. Mack Gowing then doubled down the first base line to plate Kastens.
Pittsburg State scored three runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead. The Hornets answered with a six run fifth inning to secure the win. Hanna led off with a double, Kastens following with a singl and the Gorillas walking the next two batters to score Hanna. A Mason Brown single brought in two more Hornets. Kaden Shaffer doubled to bring in another two runs and put Emporia State up 8-2.
The Gorillas scored a run in the sixth and two more in the eighth to close the gap 8-6, but a one hit, two strikeout ninth inning from Nathan Whitcomb finished the game.
Kastens hit three for four with two runs while Hanna went two for four, also with two runs. Shaffer had two RBI on the day. Tanner Cairns tossed 5.0 innings, allowing only three runs on five hits with five strikeouts to improve to 2-0 on the season. Whitcomb picked up his second save of the season with his ninth inning appearance.
The #30 Hornets will travel to Wichita, Kan. to face Newman University in a non-conference, mid-week match-up on Wednesday, March 1. The game will begin at 3:00 p.m. at McCarthy Field.
