February 1, 2024 – Emporia State baseball kicked off their 2024 season with a 17-1 run-rule win over East Central to open the Brad Hill era.
In the top of the first inning, the first two hitters for the Hornets were retired before
Kadyn Williams tripled into the right-center gap. Emporia State was unable to convert on the two-out triple and were held scoreless in the opening frame.
Cade Barton took the mound in the bottom half and after a leadoff single by the Tigers, Barton recorded a double play and a flyout to centerfield to face the minimum and keep the score tied 0-0 through one.
The first runs of the season for Emporia State would come in the second inning. The Hornets drew two walks and a hit by pitch to open the inning, loading the bases with no outs. Following a strikeout, a wild pitch and passed ball by the Tigers and an RBI single from
Mason Sturdy gave the Hornets a 3-0 lead midway through the second inning.
Barton recorded a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the second, retiring the Tigers in order before the Hornets came back to the plate in the third and added a run to their total. With one out in the third,
Patryk Hernandez doubled and later advanced to third on a single from
Joe Daneff. Hernandez would be driven home on an RBI groundout from
TJ Racherbaumer as Emporia State took a 4-0 lead.
After a scoreless bottom of the third for East Central and scoreless fourth frame both the Hornets and Tigers, Emporia State would add to their total in the fifth.
Kadyn Williams got the inning started with a one-out single and later stole second with two outs and
Joe Daneff at the plate. With a full count, Daneff blasted a two-run home run to center, extending the Hornet lead to 6-0 over the Tigers.
Following a scoreless sixth, Emporia State would add another run following a steal from
Brooks Whaley which prompted an errant throw, allowing Whaley to score from first base, giving the Hornets a 7-0 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, East Central would score their lone run as
Hayden Baumwart eventually replaced
Cade Barton who pitched 6.1 innings and allowed just one run on six hits with five strikeouts. Baumwart would strand a pair of runners in the inning, maintaining the 7-1 lead for Emporia State.
In the eight, the Emporia State offense exploded for ten runs despite just two hits in the inning. The Hornets drew eight walks in the innings while both hits combined to drive in six runs.
Mason Sturdy started the inning with a two-RBI double and after five consecutive walks,
TJ Racherbaumer lifted a grand slam to right center, pushing the lead to 17-1.
Baumwart returned to the mound in the bottom half of the inning and despite allowing a leadoff single, faced the minimum with the help of a game-ending double play.
TJ Racherbaumer went 1-4 with a grand slam, five RBI and three runs scored.
Kadyn Williams,
Mason Sturdy and
Joe Daneff each had multi-hit games while Sturdy drove in three runs and Daneff hit a two-run home run.
On the mound,
Cade Barton got the win behind 6.1 innings pitched and one run allowed while
Hayden Baumwart allowed just one hit in 1.2 innings while recording two strikeouts.
Emporia State will return to action on Friday, February 2 as they take on Oklahoma Baptist. Game time from Wendell Simmons Field in Edmond, Okla. is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.
