May 12, 2017-Emporia State pitchers combined for a one-hitter in the Hornets 4-1 win over Central Missouri in and elimination game of the MIAA Tournament on Friday. With the win Emporia State advances to play Missouri Southern at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
The Hornets got on the board in the second inning when Mason Brown walked and Kaden Shaffer was hit by a pitch to put runners on for Wade Hanna. The fifth year senior delivered a triple to center field that gave Emporia State a 2-0 lead.
That lead would hold up as Tanner Cairns, Jacob Tetuan and Nathan Whitcomb combined on a one hitter. Cairns gave up the one hit in the first inning to Erik Webb, who was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. He would face just two over the minimum through the first five innings, hitting a batter and giving up a walk. He walked the bases loaded with one out in the sixth and was relieved by Tetuan. A wild pitch allowed Blake Wilfong to score from third before Tetua got a pop up and a strikeout to end the threat.
Leading 2-1, Emporia State added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Mack Gowing led off with a triple and two batters later scored on a squeeze bunt by BJ Dean for a 3-1 lead. Tetuan then tossed a shutdown inning in the bottom of the seventh retiring the Mules in order on three fly balls. He made it six in a row retired when he struck out the lead off hitter in the eighth before Nathan Whitcomb came on in relief.
The Hornets went up 4-1 in the top of the ninth when Brown led off with a double and went to third on a failed pick off. Gowing plated him with a solid single up the middle for a three run lead going into the bottom of the ninth. Whitcomb allowed a one out walk before getting a pair of fly outs to end the game.
Cairns went 5.1 innings, allowing one run on one hit with four walks, a hit batter and two strike outs for his eighth win of the year. Tetuan worked 2.0 hitless innings and Whitcomb tossed 1.2 scoreless innings with no hits, two walks a hit batter and a strikeout for his tenth save of the year.
Gowing was two for four with a run scored and an RBI while Hanna went one for three with a walk and two RBI. Brown was one for three with a double, a walk and two runs scored.
The Hornets will take on Missouri Southern at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday in a rematch of their first round game. The winner will play Lindenwood at 7:30 p.m. for the right to advance to Sunday's Championship round while the loser will be eliminated.
NOTES:
Alex White saw his streak of reaching base safely snapped at 32 games.
Hanna's triple moved him into the top ten in single season triples at Emporia State with six and into sole possession of fourth on the career list with 13 three-baggers.
Whitcomb moved into a tie for sixth on the Emporia State single season list with ten saves.
