HORNETS SPLIT WITH #17 AUGUSTANA AS 38 RUNS ARE SCORED IN DOUBLE HEADER

February 22, 2020-With the wind blowing out during their double header at Glennen Field, Emporia State and Augustana combined for six home runs and 38 runs in 14 innings of baseball on Saturday afternoon. The Vikings won game one 6-4 before the Hornets took game two 16-12.
 
GAME ONE
Emporia State got out to an early 2-0 lead thanks to a solo home run by Dam Chaput in the second and a Josh Norlin sac fly that plated Jack Maki in the third.  Augustana tied it in the fourth on a Jaxon Rosencranz two run home run.  The Hornets got two runs in the bottom of the fifth thanks to three walks, a hit batter, and an error.
Coleton Crisp relieved starter Jared Kengott to start the top of the sixth on the mound for the Hornets. He gave up two singles and a walk with one out to load the bases before Bjorn Hanson doubled in two to tie the score at 4-4.  JT Mix then singled in the go ahead runs to make it 6-4 before Crisp got a strikeout and a fielder's choice to end the inning.
Thomas Bruss retired the last seven Hornets he faced to end the game and pick up the win. Crisp took the loss for Emporia State, giving up four runs on five hits in 2.0 innings.
 
GAME TWO
Augustana jumped out to a 5-0 lead after half an inning and Emporia State answered with a two run homer from Connor Hurst in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-2.  It would stay that way until a wild fourth inning.
The top of the fourth ended when Sam Baier was caught in a rundown trying to advance after a fly ball out by Mix.   With one out in the bottom of the inning Brady Michel worked a walk and went to third on Paul Claassen's double.  Tyrus Barclay reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second as Claassen and Michel scored on an error to make it 5-4 and chase Augie starter Evan Furst. Caleb Saari walked Maki and hit Blake Carroll to load the bases and get pulled in favor of Caleb Stratmoen.  Cooper Minnick greeted Stratmoen with a with a grand slam to give Emporia State an 8-5 lead.  Stratmoen hit Norlin, the next batter he faced, and was ejected along with Viking head coach Tim Huber.
Rosencranz tied the game for Augustana with a three run homer in the top of the fifth.  After another single starter Drew Repp was replaced by Hayden Schaeffer.  A walk and a hit batter loaded the bases and Alex Debey relieved Schaeffer.  After getting a pop out for the second out of the inning, Mix singled to drive in two and give Augie a 10-8 lead but Will Olson, who had reached after getting hit by a pitch was thrown out trying to go first to third to end the inning.
Claassen hit a one out triple in the Hornets half of the fifth and after a flyout and two walks loaded the bases, Minnick was hit by a pitch to drive in a run.  Norlin followed with a two RBI single to give Emporia State an 11-10 lead. Hurst hit an RBI single to make it 12-10 and chase Garrett Payne, who had come on in relief after Stratmoen was ejected.   Bridger Bunnell walked Chaput to load the basesand Michel made it 14-10 with a two run single.
Augie got a run back in the top of the sixth on a lead off home run by Carter Howell.  Maki led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk and stole second.  With one out and first base open, the Vikings intentionally walked Minnick to bring Norlin to the plate.  After a wild pitch Norlin tripled to drive in two and make it 16-11.  Augie got an RBI single from Olson in the top of the seventh, but Norlin converted a 6-3 double play to end the game.
Minnick went one for three with a walk, three runs scored, a grand slam and five RBI.  Norlin was two for four with a triple, two runs and four RBI while Hurst went two for five with two runs scored, a home run and three RBI. Debey gave up two runs on four hits in 2.2 innings with three strikeouts to get the win. 
 
The two teams are scheduled to finish up the four game series on Sunday at Trusler.  Game time has been moved up to 10:30 a.m. in an effort to avoid showers in the forecast for later on Sunday.