EMPORIA STATE BASEBALL OPENS SERIES WITH WIN OVER FORT HAYS STATE

April 30, 2021-Emporia State got timely hitting, the pitching staff gave up just three hits and the defense got a pick off and a caught stealing as the Hornets opened their series with Fort Hays State with a 4-1 win on Friday night at the Trusler Sports Complex.
 
The Hornets manufactured a run in the bottom of the first to take an early lead.  Blake Carroll was hit by a pitch and went to second on a balk with one out. Chandler Bloomer moved him to third with a ground out to first and Brady Michel singled him home to make it 1-0 after one.
 
Brigham Mooney then led off the second with a single and stole second.  Kade Graff delivered an RBI single with two outs to put the Hornets up 2-0 after two complete.
 
Jake Barton gave up his first base runner when Jacob Pryor led off the third with a single, but he was quickly erased when he was picked off by Cooper Minnick.
 
Noah Geekie reached on an error by the second baseman to start the fifth and Graff reached on a fielder's choice when the shortstop could not handle his ground ball up the middle. A potential big inning was thwarted when Carroll grounded into a double play, but Minnick followed with an RBI double to give Emporia State a 3-0 lead.
 
The Tigers finally scored in the top of the sixth.  Two walks and an error when the ball went through Graff's legs at short gave Fort Hays State a run and forced a pitching change by Emporia State.  Jarrett Seaton came on in relief of Barton and got a line out to second to end the inning.
 
The Hornets got an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to go up 4-1.  Minnick led off with a single and went to third on Chandler Bloomer's single to right.  Michel lofted a sac fly to score Minnick and force the Tigers into a pitching change.  Jacob Ensz relieved Jake Campbell and after a wild pitch let Bloomer go to second got to outs to end the inning.
 
Seaton sat the Tigers down in order in the top of the ninth, getting two strikeouts to end the game and pick up his second save.
 
Minnick went two for four with a double, a stolen base, and RBI and a run scored while Brady had two RBI.  Barton went 5.2 innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits with three strikeouts and in the process became the tenth Hornet to amass 200 career strikeouts.  Seaton worked the final 3.1 innings and allowed just one walk.
 
The two teams will meet on Saturday to wrap up the three game series with a double header.  First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m. at the Trusler Sports Complex with the Hornets 11 seniors set to be honored prior to the game.