April 19, 2019-Tanner Cairns gave up one run on seven hits with nine strikeouts as Emporia State defeated Washburn 4-1 on Friday night in Topeka. The Hornets will go for the Turnpike Tussle sweep on Saturday at 1:00 pm.
Lou Pener got the Hornets on the board with a lead off homer in the top of the fourth inning. The Ichabods answered in the bottom of the inning when Peter Shearer ledoff with a single and went to second on a walk to Michael Oyervides. They were both sacrificed over a base and Shearer scoredon Wyatt Featherstone's single. After giving up a walk to load the bases Cairns struck out Mitchel Lady to end the inning.
Emporia State took the lead for good in the seventh inning. Brian Grove hit a high fly ball that landed in between the second baseman and rightfielder and advanced all the way to third for a hustle triple. Cooper Minnick followed with a single through the left side for the go ahead run. Emporia State loaded the bases on a fielder's choice, a single and a walk when Tyrus Barclay laced a single to left that scored Connor Hurst and Aaron Dees.
That was all the run support Cairns and reliever Drew Scrimsher would need. Cairns struck out nine batters in 8.0 innings while allowing one run on seven hits with just two walks. Scrimsher worked a perfect ninth to earn his fifth save of the season.
Offensively Grove, Minnick and Barclay all went two for five with Barclay getting two RBI.
The Hornets will go for the Turnpike Tussle series sweep on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at Falley Field in Topeka.
