EMPORIA STATE BASEBALL TAKES BOTH GAMES IN THURSDAYS DOUBLE HEADER

February 14, 2019- Hornet baseball gets the sweep on Thursday with 4-3 and 10-3 wins over William Jewell. The Hornets got 18 hits in the two games to take the wins.
 
Game One
After teams exchanged outs in the first inning, the Hornets faced bases loaded with one out in the top of the second. The Hornets escaped the inning with a 1-2-3 double play to keep the game scoreless after two complete.
 
The Cardinals got on the board first with a two run home run from Anthony Hansen to give them the 2-0 lead before two ground outs ended the top of the third. Hornets were retired in order in the bottom of the inning.
 
The Hornets sat batters down in order in the top of the fourth before getting their first run on the board in to bottom of the inning. Cooper Minnick was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a throwing error that allowed Mitch Sloan to reach first. Minnick would score on a single from Alex Pener for the Hornets to cut the lead down to 2-1 heading to the fifth.
 
After a scoreless fifth inning, the Hornets retired batters in order to start the sixth before taking the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Mitch Sloan was hit by a pitch before Aaron Dees came in to pinch hit for Connor Hurst. With a 3-1 count, Dees sent a shot over the right field fence to give the Hornets the 3-2 lead. The Hornets would leave two runners on base as Tanner Arst singled and Christian Roduner walked before the final out.
 
The two teams exchanged outs in the seventh and eighth innings before the Cardinals tied the game at 3-3 win one run on two hits and one Hornet error in the top of the ninth. The Hornets were quick to answer and regain the lead for the 4-3 win in the bottom of the inning. Roduner led off with a double and advanced to third on a sac bunt. After Grove was intentionally walked, Paul Claassen sealed the game for the Hornets with a walk off single to drive Roduner in for the score.
 
The Hornets had seven hits in the game led by Christian Roduner with one run on two hits including the game winning walk off single. Aaron Dees had the Hornets lone home run in the game to give him two RBI.
 
Jake Barton started on the mound for the Hornets allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits with two K's through seven innings. Barton was relieved by Mason LeClair who pitched 1.0 innings and faced four batters before being replaced by Ryan Lee. Lee got the win for the Hornets with 1.0 innings pitched allowing one run on two hits.
 
Game Two
Both teams left two runners stranded with no runs in the first inning. After the Hornets retired batters in order in the top of the second, they took the lead in their half of the inning. Christian Roduner led off with a walk and advanced to second as Tyrus Barclay was also walked. Josh Norlin sent a shot through the right side to drive Roduner home from second to give the Hornets the 1-0 lead.
 
In the top of the third, the Cardinals tied the game with one run on two hits. The Hornets answered quickly in their side of the frame with two runs on four hits. Cooper Minnick singled up the middle and advanced to third on a double from Mitch Sloan. Minnick would score and Sloan advanced to third on a single from Alex Pener. Sloan scored to wrap up scoring in the inning when Roduner hit a single just over the third baseman's head to give the Hornets the 3-1 lead after three.
 
After stranding two runners in the top of the inning, the Hornets tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Norlin led off the inning with a single and advanced to third when Brian Grove sent a shot through the left side. Paul Claassen reached on a fielder's choice as the short stop had a throwing error on the attempt on Norlin at home. Claassen advanced to third on a passed ball and a ground out from Minnick before Sloan was walked. Sloan stole second and Claassen came home for the score on the throw to wrap up the Hornets scoring in the inning.
 
In the top of the fifth, the Cardinals three lead off batters went double, double and single lead the way for two runs on three hits for the Cardinals in the inning to cut the Hornets lead to 5-3. The Hornets were quick to extend their lead back to three with one run in the bottom of the fifth. Aaron Dees led off with a single and advanced to third on a single from Norlin. For the second time in the game, the Hornets used a double steal to score a run as Norlin stole second and Dees came home to score on the throw. The Hornets would lead 6-3 heading to the sixth.
 
The Hornets extended their lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the seventh. Minnick singled up the middle to lead off the inning. Sloan reached on a fielder's choice as Minnick was out at second. Sloan would advance to third on an error by the pitcher before scoring when Pener sent a shot through the right side. Pener was picked off and Roduner struck out to end the inning.
 
The Hornets stranded two Cardinals runners in the top of the seventh before adding three runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning. Dees walked to lead off and advanced to third on a single from Barclay. Norlin walked to load the bases before Grove singled through the left side to bring Dees in to score and advance the runners. Claassen grounded into a double play that brought Barclay home to score before Minnick tripled to right center field to allow Norlin to score and give the Hornets the 10-3 lead heading to the eighth.
 
Neither team was able to gain advantage in the final two innings as the Hornets went on to win 10-3 over the Cardinals.
 
Cooper Minnick and Josh Norlin led the Hornets at the plate with three hits each. Norlin tacked on two runs while Minnick scored one. The Hornets recorded 14 hits in the game with six rbi.
 
Hayden Schaeffer started on the mound for the Hornets, pitching 4.0 innings allowing one run on four hits with five K's before being replaced by Drew Repp.  Repp pitched 4.0 innings allowing two runs on five hits with four K's. Connor Burns came in to close in the final inning and pitched 1.0 innings and faced three batters.