May 1, 2021-Emporia State baseball wrapped up the home portion of their schedule with a pair of run rule wins over Fort Hays State at the Trusler Sports Complex. The Hornets won both games 13-3, winning in seven innings in the matinee and eight innings in the nightcap.
Game One
The Hornets used a seven run seventh inning to end the first game early at 13-3.
Emporia State scored twice in the first inning, first on a Chandler Bloomer RBI single. The second run came as
Cooper Minnick scored on a double play to give the Hornets a 2-0 lead after one inning.
The Tigers cut the lead in half with an unearned run in the third inning and took their first lead of the series in the fourth when Jacob Pryor hit a two run home run to give FHSU a 3-2 lead.
Bloomer put the Hornets in front to stay with a two run double in the bottom of the fifth that scored Kade Graff and
Noah Geekie.
Christian Roduner made it 5-3 with an RBI double in the sixth and he would score on a Graff single to left center to put the Hornets up 6-3.
Malachi Crone relieved
Jared Kengott to start the seventh and retired the Tigers in order. Minnick and Bloomer both walked to start the bottom of the seventh. After the Tigers second pitching change of the inning
Brady Michel singled to load the bases and
Sam Chaput followed with a two run double.
Brigham Mooney then made it 10-3 with a two run single. Roduner cleared the bases with a two run home run to give the Hornets a 12-3 lead. With one out Graff singled and
Blake Carroll walked to force the third pitching change of the inning for Fort Hays State. Minnick met the reliever with a single to center that scored Graff and ended the game at 13-3.
Every Hornet in the lineup got a hit in the game with Graff going three for four with two runs and an RBI. Roduner was two for four with a double, a homer, three RBI and two runs scored while Bloomer went two for two with three RBI and a run scored.
Jared Kengott went 6.0 innings and allowed three runs, two of them earned, on two hits with eight strikeouts.
Malachi Crone entered the game in a save situation and worked a perfect seventh inning to earn the save.
Game two
Emporia State scored six runs in the third inning to take control on the way to a 13-3 win in eight innings in the nightcap.
Kade Wallace gave Fort Hays State a 2-0 lead in the first with a two run homer but the Hornets answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead in half.
Emporia State score three runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead.
Christian Roduner tripled to lead off the inning and came home on a
Ryan Krolikowski single to tie the game.
Blake Carroll doubled to put runners on second and third before
Cooper Minnick laid down a sacrifice bunt that plated Krolikowski. Chandler Bloomer followed with an RBI double and the Hornets led 4-2 after two innings.
Wallace hit his second home run in as many at bats in the third to make it 4-3 but Emporia State exploded for six runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 10-3.
Sam Chaput started things with a solo homer and with one out Roduner singled. He went to second on a balk and third on a ground out before Graff singled him home. Carroll singled to right and the right fielder misplayed it allowing Graff to score from first. Minnick double to make it 8-3 and then Bloomer launched a two run homer to left as Emporia State went up 10-3.
Roduner would homer to lead off the bottom of the fourth as Emporia State took an 11-3 lead. In the bottom of the sixth
Brigham Mooney led off with a single bringing Roduner back to the plate. He laced a double down the left field line and become what is believed to be the first Hornet to hit for the cycle in their NCAA era. Krolikowski singled through the left side to put runners on first and third with no one out. After a strikeout Emporia State had a chance to go up by ten runs but Roduner was thrown out trying to score on a fly ball by Carroll for an inning ending double play. Chaput would end the game in the bottom of the eighth when he led off with a double, went to third on a wild pitch and then scored on another wild pitch to put the Hornets up 13-3.
Again every Hornet starter got a hit with Roduner going four for four with a double, triple, home run, three runs scored and an RBI. Bloomer went two for three with a double, homer, three RBI and a run scored while Chaput was two for four with a double, home run two RBI and two runs.
Drew Repp went 5.0 innings allowing three runs on four hits with eight strikeouts and just two walks.
Alex DeBey, pitching for the first time since March 11,
Coleton Crisp and
Robert Mayes combined for 3.0 shutout innings with Mayes ending the Tiger half of the eighth with a strikeout.
The Hornets will wrap up the regular season next weekend at Pittsburg State. The three game series is set to begin on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. in Pittsburg, Kan.
