March 16, 2019-The Emporia State pitching staff held Central Oklahoma to just three hits in a 10-1 Hornet win on Saturday afternoon in Edmond, Okla.
The Hornets scored two runs in the first inning without the benefit of a base hit. Emporia State drew four walks and had a batter hit by a pitch to take a 2-0 lead after half an inning. No pitch was put into play by a hitter as the Hornets were struckout twice and had a player caught stealing to end the inning. The Bronchos a double and single to start the bottom of the inning but Cooper Minnick gunned down Phillip Scott trying to steal second and Jake Barton got two strikeouts to end the inning.
Minnick singled to lead off the third and after three wild pitches scored to give Emporia State a 3-1 lead. Barton would not allow another hit until the seventh inning by which time Connor Hurst had singled in Lou Penner to make it 4-1 Hornets. Barton would retire nine straight at one point before Taylor Avila walked with two outs in the seventh. His day would end with one out in the eighth when Drew Scrimsher relieved him. Scrimsher coaxed a ground ball double play to end the inning and send the game to the ninth with ESU leading 4-1.
The Hornets would take complete control of the game with six runs, five of them unearned in the top of the ninth to go up 10-1. Sloan Baker came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and struck out the side to even the series at a game a piece.
Barton picked up his second win allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts and six walks in 7.1 innings. Minnick was two for four with three runs scored while Aaron Dees went one for four with three RBI.
The two teams will wrap up the series on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. in Edmond, Okla.
