March 2, 2018-Kaden Shaffer was three for four with five RBI and three runs scored as Emporia State took game one of a three game series with Southwest Baptist 12-6 on Friday night at the Trusler Sports Complex.
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The Hornets gave up three hits in the top of the first but got out of the inning unscathed thanks to a caught stealing and a force out. Emporia State then jumped on SBU in the bottom of the inning scoring five runs on three hits. Shaffer had a two run single to start the scoring and Taylor Sanagorski hit a three-run homer to left to wrap it up.
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Emporia State took advantage of two Bearcat errors to score three unearned runs in the second and then got two more runs in the third to go up 10-0.  Shaffer had another two RBI single in the second and then scored from first on Brian Grove's double. The Bearcats got on the board with four runs in the fifth to close within 10-4 but the Hornets got single tallies in the seventh and eighth to answer. SBU scored two more in the eighth off reliever Connor Burns before he got a strike out to end the game.
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Grove was two for four with an RBI and a run scored while Trevor Turner went two for four with a run scored to join Shaffer with multiple hits. Max Simpson went 7.0 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts to improve to 3-0 on the season.
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The two teams will meet on Saturday afternoon for game two of the series. First pitch from the Trusler Sports Complex is set for 1:00 p.m.
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