EMPORIA STATE BASEBALL GETS SERIES WIN WITH 11-3 VICTORY OVER MISSOURI WESTERN

April 6, 2019-Emporia State pounded out 12 hits and took advantage of four Missouri Western errors to take the series with an 11-3 win on Saturday afternoon at the Trusler Sports Complex.
 
The Griffons took an early lead when Fahd Shakeel homered in the first.  The Griffons answered in the bottom of the first when Connor Hurst doubled in Paul Claassen. Western took advantage of two Emporia State errors in the second to go up 3-1.
 
The Hornets answered in the bottom of the second with five runs.  Josh Norlin drove in Lou Pener to start the scoring and Brian Grove followed with an RBI single.  With two outs Aaron Dees doubled to right field to make it 5-3.  Connor Hurst kept the line moving when he reached on an error by that allowed Dees to score and give the Hornets a 6-3 lead after two innings. 
 
Dees homered to left center with two outs in the fourth and Cooper Minnick led off the fifth with a home run to left field as Emporia State took an 8-3 lead.
 
After a rocky start Jake Barton retired 17 of the last 20 batters he faced, getting seven of his nine strikeouts in the process.  Adam Thiess came on to start the eighth and sat the Griffons down in order, getting two strikeouts to end the inning. 
 
The Hornets picked up three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth.  Mitch Sloan and Norlin hit back to back singles to open the inning.  After a failed sac bunt by Emporia State and a failed pick off attempt by Western, Claassen hit an RBI single to right.  Norlin made it 10-3 when he scored on a wild pitch while Claassen went to second. Dees fouled out to the catcher on a hit and run, but Claassen was able to come around and score when Will Jibas tried to double him off at second and his throw went into centerfield..
 
Thiess allowed the first two batters on in the top of the ninth before retiring three in a row and ending the game with a strikeout.
 
With the win the Hornets will remain in second place in the MIAA when the weekend is over.  Emporia State will step out of the MIAA for a midweek game against Newman on Wednesday, April 10 at the Trusler Sports Complex.  First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.