EMPORIA STATE BASEBALL PICKS UP MID-WEEK WIN OVER WILLIAM JEWELL

March 7, 2019- Emporia State Baseball defeated William Jewell 8-2 on Thursday at the Trusler Sports Complex. Both teams recorded ten hits, but the Hornets got eight rbi to propel them to the win over the Cardinals.
 
After three scoreless innings, the Cardinals got on the board first with one run on four hits in the top of the fourth. The Hornets were quick to answer in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Cooper Minnick led-off with a single to right center field and advanced to second on a wild pitch before Alex Pener walked. Aaron Dees advanced the runners with a sac bunt before Mitch Sloan grounded out allowing Minnick to score to tie the game after four innings.
 
The Hornets took the lead with one run on three hits in the bottom of the fifth. Paul Claassen started things off for the Hornets with a single to right field. Claassen advanced to second when Brian Grove singled to left field and would score on a single from Minnick through the left side to give the Hornets a 2-1 lead after five.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the Hornets got four runs on four hits to extend their lead and put the game out of reach for the Cardinals. Claassen singled to left center field and was out on a fielder's choice that allowed Josh Norlin to reach first. A pair of singles from Grove and Minnick would score Norlin before a walk for Dees would load the bases. Sloan hit a three rbi double to bring home all runners and extend the Hornets lead to 6-1 after seven innings.
 
The Hornets capped their scoring in the bottom of the eighth with two runs on one hit. Claassen led off being hit by a pitch and advanced and a Norlin walk before scoring on a single from Grove. Grove stole second and Pener walked to load the bases before Norlin would score as Dees was walked to end the Hornets scoring with an 8-1 lead. The Cardinals got one run on one hit in the top of the ninth to end the game with an 8-2 Hornet win.
 
The Hornets had ten hits in the game led by Cooper Minnick and Paul Claassen with three hits and two runs each. Brian Grove added three hits and one run for the Hornets while Mitch Sloan had one hit and four rbi.
 
Tanner Cairns pitched his first complete game of the season going 9.0 innings allowing just two runs on ten hits with 12 K's.
 
The Hornets are back in action on Sunday, March 10 as they will be the visitors on the scoreboard playing host to Fort Hays State at the Trusler Sports Complex.