March 8, 2024 – Emporia State baseball dropped their series opener against #10 Missouri Southern 5-0 on Friday afternoon in Joplin, Mo. as the Hornets managed just three hits in the game.
Both the Hornets and Lions went without a hit in the first and after Emporia State went down in order in the second, Missouri Southern threatened with a pair of one-out hits as they advanced two runners into scoring position against Emporia State starter
Cade Barton. Barton was able to get a popup on the infield and a strikeout to strand the runners and keep the score tied 0-0 heading to the third.
In the third, Missouri Southern grabbed their first run with two hits in the inning as the Hornets trailed 1-0. Emporia State got their first base runner of the game in the fourth as
Logan Myers drew a leadoff walk. With two outs, a double from
Patryk Hernandez and a walk from
TJ Racherbaumer loaded the bases but the Hornets were unable to push a run across as they still trailed 1-0 heading to the bottom half of the inning where Barton would retire the Lions in order.
In both the fifth and sixth innings, Barton stranded a pair of Missouri Southern runners as the score remained at 1-0 heading into the late innings.
Emporia State went scoreless in the top of the seventh before the Lions were able to score four runs on three hits against the Hornet bullpen as the Hornets trailed 5-0 heading to the eighth. The Hornets were unable to earn another base runners in the final two frames, falling 5-0 in game one against the tenth-ranked Lions.
Logan Myers,
Austin Hamm and
Patryk Hernandez each recorded a hit for the Hornets. On the mound,
Cade Barton earned pitched 6.0 innings and allowed one run on five hits with three strikeouts.
Emporia State will take on Missouri Southern in game two of the series on Saturday, March 9. Game time is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
