HORNETS FALL IN EXTRA INNING PITCHER'S DUEL TO OPEN SERIES WITH LIONS

March 30, 2019-A pitching duel between Emporia State and #11 Missouri Southern that saw the starters combine for 18.0 scoreless innings and 22 strikeouts was finally won by the Lions 2-0 in 12 innings on Saturday at Glennen Field in the Trusler Sports Complex.
 
The Hornets Tanner Cairns and the Lions Zach Parish matched each other through the first eight innings.  Parish went 8.0 and gave up six hits with 14 strike outs while Cairns would end up going 10.0 innings, allowing seven hits with eight strike outs as neither starter walked or hit a batter.
 
Southern left two runners on base in the first and fifth but would not get a runner past second base in the first 11 innings.  The Hornets left two on in the third, seventh and eighth innings, stranding a runner at third in the third and seventh.
 
River Wright relieved Parish to start the ninth and gave up a one out single to the Hornets Lou Pener but a double play ended the inning.  Emporia State loaded the bases in the bottom of the tenth against Lion reliever Austin DesRoche on two singles and a walk before he struck out the final two batters to end the inning.
 
Cairns retired the final 13 Lions he faced before Drew Scrimsher came on to start the 11^th inning for Emporia State.  After hitting a batter and allowing a walk, Scrimsher got a strikeout to end the inning.
 
Dale Miller started the 12^th on the mound for the Hornets and gave up two walks and a single to load the bases with one out.  Connor Burns relieved Miller and gave up two more walks to force in two runs before ending the inning.  Chris Roduner led off the bottom of the 12^th for the Hornets with a walk off closer Cam Bednar to bring the tying run to the plate. Josh Norlin's line drive was snagged by the Lions Freddie Landers or it may have gone into the corner for extra bases. Bednar then got a strike out and force out at second to end the game.
 
Cairns got a no decision despite not giving up a run in 10.0 innings with eight strikeouts, only seven hits and no walks.  Miller picked up the loss in 0.1 innings with two runs on two walks.
 
The two teams will meet in game two of their series at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday at Glennen Field in the Trusler Sports Complex.
 
NOTES:
This is the second time in a year that the Hornets and Lions have taken a combined shut out into extra innings.  Last year Missouri Southern salvaged the final game of a three game series with Emporia State with a 1-0 win in ten innings in Joplin on March 25, 2018.
It is the first time a Hornet starter has thrown at least 9.0 shutout innings since Tanner Cairns tossed a complete game three hitter against Neb.-Kearney on March 25, 2017.