DH SWEEP FOR EMPORIA STATE SECURES MIAA TOURNAMENT BERTH

May 7, 2021-Emporia State punched their ticket to the MIAA Tournament with an 11-10 win in game one over Pittsburg State before completing the double header sweep with an 11-4 win in the second game.
 
Game 1
The Hornets jumped on top early and held on for an 11-10 win in the matinee.
 
Emporia State opened the game with four runs in the top of the first.  With one out Brady Michel laced a single down the left field line to bring home Cooper Minnick and Chandler Bloomer.  After two walks loaded the bases, Javier Pena hit a grounder to third and Dawson Pomeroy threw it away letting Michel and Christian Roduner score as the Hornets took a 4-0 lead.
 
The Gorillas used the home run ball to get on the board in the third.  Cruz Aranda hit a two run home run and was followed by a solo homer from Ryan Koval to make it 4-3.
 
The Hornets would explode for six runs in the top of the fifth.  Minnick, Bloomer and Michel singled to lead off the top of the fifth and force Gorilla starter David Henderson from the game.  Sam Chaput greeted reliever Jackson Blancarte with a single up the middle that scored two and Christian Roduner followed with a two run double to make 8-3. Mooney reached on a bunt single to put runners at first and third.  A passed ball allowed Roduner to score, followed by a walk to Javier Pena and a sac bunt that put runners on second and third.  Jordan Mendenhall relieved Blancarte and Carroll hit a sac fly to deep center field to give the Hornets a 10-3 lead going to the bottom of the fifth.
 
The Gorillas scored a single run in the fifth, two in the sixth, and one in the seventh to pull within 10-7 going to the eighth inning.  With one out Carroll singled and went to third on a double by Minnick.  Bloomer followed with a single to right to give the Hornets an 11-7 lead and chase Mendenhall.  Justin Root came on in relief and Michel hit a shot to first that Garrett McGowan was able to snag and tag first to double up Bloomer.
 
Pitt State got the run back in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI double by Greyson Pinkett to pull within 11-8.  In the bottom of the ninth Aaron Gerdes led off with a walk before Brett Daley homered to left center to pull the Gorillas within a run with no outs.  Coleton Crisp relieved Jarrett Seaton, who had come on in the sixth in relief of starter Jake Barton.  Mason Hartman greeted him with a single and went to third on a sac bunt and ground out.  Pomeroy and McGowan each walked to load the bases before Crisp got Pinkett to fly out to center to end the game.
 
Minnick went four for five with a double and two runs scored as eight of nine Emporia State starters got at least one hit.  Michel was two for four with two runs and two RBI.  Barton went 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs, six total runs, on seven hits with three strikeouts for the win.  Crisp picked up his third save of the year with one inning of scoreless relief.
 
Game 2
The Hornets jumped out to a 10-0 lead and after four innings and Jared Kengott took a no hitter into the fifth as Emporia State completed the doubleheader sweep with an 11-4 win in the nightcap.
 
Brady Michel gave Emporia State a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when he singled in Blake Carroll.  Carroll then make it 3-0 when he hit a two run homer in the top of the second. 
 
Chandler Bloomer kept things going in the top of the third when he led off with a single, went to second on a single by Michel and to third on a bunt single by Sam Chaput.  A wild pitch scored Bloomer before Brigham Mooney launched a three run home run to left center to give the Hornets a 7-0 lead.
 
Carroll scored his third run of the game in the fourth inning after reaching and advancing to second on dropped fly ball by the second baseman in shallow left field.  Another dropped fly ball, this time near the warning track in right field, allowed Bloomer to get to get to second and Carroll to score to make it 8-0.  Bloomer was out trying to go to third on a ground ball to short before a Chaput double.  Christian Roduner then singled to right scoring two and give Emporia State a 10-0 lead after four innings.
 
The Gorillas finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth.  With one out Aaron Gerdes walked and after a strikeout Blain Ohlmeier got the first hit off Kengott, an RBI double down the left field line. They added another run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double by Greyson Pinkett to pull within 10-2.
 
Minnick hit a sac fly that plated Kade Graff in the top of the seventh for Emporia State's final run of the game.  The Gorillas would add single runs in the eighth and ninth for the final score of 11-4.
 
Carroll went four for six with a home run, three runs scored, and two RBI while both Michel and Chaput were three for five with two runs scored as every Hornet starter reached base and had either a run scored or an RBI.  Kengott went 7.0 innings and allowed two runs on three hits with two walks and ten strikeouts. 
 
The Hornets will go for their second consecutive series sweep on Saturday in the final game against the Gorillas.  First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. at Al Ortolani Field in Pittsburg, Kan.
 
 
NOTES:
With three strikeouts in game one Jake Barton tied Seth Holman for ninth on Emporia State career list with 203 strikeouts.    
Emporia State has now scored at least ten runs in four straight games.
The Hornets have locked up the eighth seed in the MIAA Tournament and will play at Central Missouri next weekend in a best two out of three Opening Round Series.