EMPORIA STATE BASEBALL PICKS UP 25TH WIN OF THE SEASON AT MISSOURI WESTERN

April 24, 2019-Every starter either reached base or drove in a run as Emporia State defeated Missouri Western 8-3 in non-conference action in St. Joseph, Mo. on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Hornets got on the board first with a pair of runs in the third inning.  Mitch Sloan and Josh Norlin hit back to back one out singles to put runners at first and second.  With two outs Cooper Minnick singled to right to drive in Sloan and send Norlin to third.  Aaron Dees reached when swung and missed on a passed ball that allowed Norlin to score and give Emporia State a 2-0 lead.  The Griffons got one run back in the bottom of the third. Kyle Snuttjer walked to lead off the inning and went to second on a sac bunt.  Casey Danley singled him home but was thrown out by Sloan from left field trying to stretch it into a double.  The next three Griffons reached on two ground ball singles and a walk before Jarret Seaton was able to get a ground ball out to end the inning with the bases loaded.
 
A lead off walk turned into an unearned run as Missouri Western tied the game in the bottom of the fourth.  Drew Repp relieved Seaton to start the inning. Will Jibas walked to lead off the inning then stole second and went to third on a throwing error by Minnick on the steal.   Jibas could not advance on a fly out to right but was able to score on a sac fly to left by Snuttjer to make it 2-2. Western took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth thanks to a lead off double by Casey Danley and a two out RBI single from Brooks Day.
 
Emporia State retook the lead in the top of the seventh on two runs without the benefit of a hit.  Brian Grove and Minnick both drew walks from Kellan Richards, the fifth Western pitcher of the day, to start the inning.  Josh Miller relieved Richards and threw a wild pitch that allowed the runner to move up and then gave up a sac fly to Dees that tied the game.  Jacob Purl then came on to relieve Miller and hit Connor Hurst before surrendering another sac fly to Paul Claassen that gave Emporia State a 4-3 lead.
 
Adam Thies worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, his second scoreless inning of the game, before handing the ball to Mason LeClair in the eighth.  LeClair gave up a two out single before ending the inning with a ground out to first as Emporia State took a 4-3 lead to the ninth.
 
Grove again led off the inning and again drew a walk, this time off the eighth Griffon pitcher Kyle Heckenbach, before going to third on Minnick's single and a fielding error by the left fielder.  Western intentionally walked Dees to load the bases and Hurst responded with a two run double to left center.  Joe Benkovich, the ninth pitcher of the day, came in and got two outs before Tucker Perkins cleared the bases as he reached on an error by Zach Pych at second base and Emporia State took an 8-3 lead. 
 
Drew Scrimsher worked a 1-2-3 ninth to preserve the win and give the Hornets their 25^th win of the season.
Minnick was two for four with two runs scored and an RBI, Hurst went one for fourth with a double, two RBI and a run scored while Grove walked three times and scored twice.  Thies worked two innings and did not give up a hit as he was the pitcher of record and picked up the win.
 
Emporia State will return to MIAA play on Friday when they travel to Northeastern State for a three game series against the RiverHawks.  First pitch of game one is set for 2:00 p.m. on April 26 in Tahlequah, Okla.