April 5, 2019-Emporia State came away with a split of their double header with Missouri Western and stayed just a game and a half out of first place in the MIAA race. The Hornets fell 8-7 in the matinee and took an 8-5 win in the nightcap.
GAME ONE
The Hornets jumped out a 7-0 lead before giving up eight unanswered runs in an 8-7 win by the Griffons. Mitch Sloan gave the Hornets a 1-0 lead when he singled in Lou Pener with two outs in the second. Brian Grove made it 3-0 with a two RBI single and he would come home on a Paul Claassen double to make it 4-0 after two innings. Connor Hurst and Aaron Dees hit back to back home runs in the third to give the Hornets a 6-0 lead and Claassen would score on a wild pitch in the fourth to make it 7-0.
Tanner Cairns took a shut out into the sixth inning and got the first two outs before he gave up three runs on five hits. Dusty Stroup started the rally with a home run, the Zach Pych was hit by a pitch. Brooks Day singled and they would both score on Kyle Snuttjer's single. The inning ended when Snuttjer tried to score on a Josh Robinson single but was thrown out at the plate by Dees from right field. Mason LeClair started the seventh in relief of Cairns and struck out the first two batters he faced. He then gave up three straight singles with Pych getting and RBI on the last one. After he walked Day, Dale Miller came on gave up a single to Jordan Jackson to make it 7-5 before getting out of the inning.
The Western half of the eighth started with Miller hitting Robinson and then giving up a two run homer to straight away centerfield to Casey Danley to tie the score. Andrew Curry was hit by a pitch and Drew Scrimsher relieved Miller. A sac fly by Pych gave the Griffons an 8-7 lead. The Hornets would get just one more base runner the rest of the way as the Griffons took the first game of the series.
GAME TWO
Emporia State gave up an early lead again in the nightcap but were able to answer quickly in an 8-5 win to even the series. Tucker Perkins singled in Aaron Dees for a 1-0 lead in the second inning for Emporia State. Ryan Lee was perfect through the first three innings and had faced just one over the minimum through 5.1 innings when Will Jibas tied the game with a one out homer to left center for the Griffons.
Brian Grove provided a quick answer in the bottom of the inning with a home run to left. With two outs Cooper Minnick and Aaron Dees walked in front of a Connor Hurst triple that gave the Hornets a 4-1 lead. Perkins got his second RBI of the game when he singled up the middle to make it 5-1 headed to the seventh inning.
Jarrett Seaton began the seventh on the mound for Emporia State and gave up back to back home runs to Western's Andrew Curry and Jordan Jackson. After a strikeout and a walk, Drew Repp replaced Seaton and got another strikeout before Wyatt Meyer hit a two run, pinch hit home run to tie the score at 5-5. Grove answered again for the Hornets in the bottom of the inning when he hit a one out triple and then scored on a wild pitch to put Emporia State back in front 6-5.
The first two Griffons were hit by pitch to start the eighth inning and Drew Scrimsher came on in relief. After a sac bunt moved the runners over, Grove made the defensive play of the game. Dusty Stroup hit a grounder to second and Grove threw behind the runner at third to get the second out and save a run. Pych then hit a ground ball to third and Claassen stepped on the bag to end the inning.
Dees led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk and went to third on Hurst's double down the left field line. Tyrus Barclay gave the Hornets a pair of insurance runs with a single to left as Emporia State took an 8-5 lead. Scrimsher then struckout the side to end the Western half of the ninth and give the Hornets the 8-5 win.
The two teams are scheduled to play the final game of the series on Saturday starting at 12:00 p.m.on Glennen Field at the Trusler Sports Complex.
