EMPORIA STATE BASEBALL SWEPT AT #19 MISSOURI SOUTHERN

February 27, 2021-Emporia State was swept by #19 Missouri Southern in their MIAA opening double header on Saturday in Joplin, Mo. The Hornets fell 3-0 in the matinee and 4-3 in the nightcap.
 
GAME 1
The Lions prevailed 3-0 in a pitcher's duel in the opener. Southern got on the board first with a single run in the second inning.  The added an insurance run in the fourth and picked up their third run in the fifth inning.
Emporia State was shut out for the first time this year but had the tying run at the plate with one out in the top of the ninth. Cooper Minnick doubled and went to third on a single by Chandler Bloomer that chased MSSU starter Zack Parish. Cole Woods came on in relief and got two strikeouts to end the game.
Noah Geekie had two of Emporia State's five hits.  Jake Barton started and went 5.0 innings, striking out ten while walking three and giving up three runs on six hits.  Coleton Crisp tossed three no-hit innings with two strike outs for the Hornets.
 
GAME 2
The Hornets scored an unearned run in the top of the first in the second game before the Lions Troy Tagan tied it with a solo homer in the second.  Chandler Bloomer singled in Blake Carroll to give Emporia State a 2-1 lead in the top of the second.  Southern tied it again with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth only to see Emporia State go back up a run when Carroll tripled to lead off the fifth and score on a Cooper Minnick ground out.
Southern would score two runs in the sixth courtesy of a walk, a single, a balk and sac fly to retake the lead at 4-3.  Bloomer worked a walk with out on the eighth to force Southern to go to their bullpen.  A passed ball moved pinch runner Sawyer Slayden into scoring position and Sam Chaput worked a walk to put the go ahead run on base but Noah Geekie would strike out, one of 24 K's in the double header for Emporia State, to end the threat.  Javier Pena worked a two out, pinch hit walk in the top of the ninth but pinch runner Brigham Mooney was thrown out trying to steal to end the game.
Blake Carroll was three for four with a double and a triple and three runs scored for the Hornets.  Jared Kengott went 7.0 innings with eight strikeouts, two walks and five hits while allowing four runs, three of them earned.  Jarrett Seaton worked a perfect eighth with two strikeouts and ground out.
 
Emporia State will try to salvage game three of the series on Sunday in Joplin, Mo.  First pitch from Warren Turner Field is set for 1:00 p.m.