April 27, 2019-Emporia State scored seven runs in the second inning and did not look back on the way to a 13-8 victory at Northeastern State on Saturday afternoon. The win evens the series at a game apiece with the deciding game set for 12:00 p.m. on Sunday in Tahlequah, Okla.
The Hornets had five extra base hits in the seven run second four of them with two outs. Paul Claassen led off with a double and went to third on a ground out by Tucker Perkins. One out later Tanner Arst drove a double to right center to score Claassen. A Mitchell Sloan walk was followed by back to back doubles by Brian Grove and Copper Minnickto give the Hornets a 4-0 lead. Aaron Dees followed with a single to score Minnick before Connor Hurst hit his 12
th home run of the year to make it 7-0.
Northeastern State responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the third. Two singles, a double and back to back walks scored two runs and brought Mason LeClair on in relief of Jake Barton. LeClair got a strike out and gave up an RBI walk before ending the inning with a bases loaded strikeout to keep the Hornets in front 7-3.
Grove led off the fourth getting hit by a pith and went to second when Minnick walked. After a pitching change, Dees greeted the reliever with an RBI single. Minnick would score on a wild pitch and Claassen hit an RBU single to make it 10-3 headed to the bottom of the fourth. Northeastern got one of the runs back in the bottom of the frame on a solo home run by Colton Burgess.
Minnick led off the sixth inning with a double, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Hurst's sac fly to give the Hornets an 11-4 lead. Erick Espinosa hit a two run homer in the bottom of the sixth to pull the RiverHawks back within five runs. Drew Repp gave up an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth as Northeastern State pulled within 11-7. Lou Pener got that run back and one more in the top of the ninth when he hit a two run homer to center field.
Drew Scrimsher gave up a run on a two single and a triple before ending the game with a strikeout.
Minnick went four for four with three runs scored and two RBI while Hurst was one for four with a home run and three RBI. LeClair picked up the win, allowing three runs on three hits in 3.2 innings with five strikeouts.
