April 11, 2023 – In a game that featured seven home runs, Emporia State came up short as they dropped the midweek series finale to Pittsburg State 13-8 on Tuesday evening.
Both teams were retired quickly in the first inning, with just one baserunner in the inning, before Pittsburg State struck first in the bottom of the second. A solo home run from Cade Clemons gave the Gorillas a 1-0 lead.
Mason Sturdy responded with a solo home run in the third inning that tied the game before the Gorillas regained a 2-1 advantage in the bottom half.
A pair of runs for Pittsburg State expanded the lead to 4-1 in the fourth inning before Emporia State rallied to take a 5-4 in the top of the fifth. With one out,
Patryk Hernandez tripled before scoring on a
Mason Sturdy RBI single to make the score 4-2. With two outs,
Brenden Tauber was hit by a pitch that brought up
Kadyn Williams. Williams hit a three-run home run to right field that put Emporia State ahead 5-4.
A two-out RBI single in the fifth followed by a two-out solo home run by Karson Coffee in the sixth gave Pittsburg State a 6-5 lead over the Hornets.
The Gorillas would add two more to their lead in the seventh with a two-run home run from Ryan Koval as the Hornets trailed 8-5 entering the eighth inning.
In the eighth,
Noah Geekie recorded a leadoff single and
Jake Daneff drew a pinch-hit walk with one out. Following a strikeout,
Mason Sturdy stepped to the plate with two outs and lifted his second home run of the game, a three-run home run to left field that knotted the game at 8-8.
Pittsburg State responded with five runs on four hits in the eighth as they built a 13-8 lead over Emporia State. The Hornets recorded one baserunner but were held scoreless in the ninth as they fell to the Gorillas 13-8.
Mason Sturdy went 3-4 with two home runs, five RBI and three runs scored.
Kadyn Williams had a home run, and three RBI and
Noah Geekie went 3-4 with a walk and a run scored.
Emporia State returns to action on Friday, April 14 as they begin the Turnpike Tussle against Washburn from Topeka. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. from Falley Field.
