March 21, 2025 – Emporia State baseball fell behind in the first inning but used a three-run second and six-run fourth to secure a 10-7 win over Newman in game one of their weekend series on Friday at Trusler Sports Complex.
Newman picked up three runs on three hits in the opening frame, taking a 3-0 lead over the Hornets. Emporia State had two hits in the bottom of the first but were held scoreless through one inning. After
Graeme Rios retired the Jets in order in the second, Emporia State pushed across three runs of their own to tie the game.
Dominic Felix and
Sammy Padilla drew walks to open the inning, and Felix scored on an RBI single from
Brady Unrein.
Elijah Reeves was hit by a pitch in his first plate appearance to load the bases and the Hornets pulled level after RBI from
Logan Myers and
Peyton Lewis knotted the score at 3-3.
The Jets retook the lead the in the third, scoring one run on two hits, and following a scoreless bottom half for Emporia State, Newman added two more to take a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the fourth.
Emporia State responded in the bottom of the fourth, scoring six runs on six hits, which included home runs from
Noah Steele,
Cooper Schwindt and
Brady Unrein to give the Hornets a 9-6 advantage.
Both teams went scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings, before Newman scored one run in the seventh to make the score 9-7, but stranded the bases loaded. In the bottom of the seventh, Emporia State restored their three-run lead on an RBI fielder's choice by
Noah Steele, making the score 10-7.
In the eighth, Hornet reliever
Eli Hernandez capped his outing by maintain the 10-7 lead, which set up
Ian Lanik for a save opportunity in the ninth after the Hornets stranded two runners in the bottom of the eighth.
Despite a lead off single to open the ninth, Lanik forced a flyout to Reeves in centerfield and a 6-4-3 double play to end the game, sealing the 10-7 win for the Hornets and his sixth save of the season.
Peyton Lewis,
Noah Steele,
Brady Unrein and
Elijah Reeves all tallied multi-hit games, while Reeves reached base in all five plate appearances. Steele, Unrein and
Cooper Schwindt all homered in the game while Steele tallied four RBI and Unrein drove in three of his own.
On the mound,
Graeme Rios went 5.0 innings in the start, picking up his fourth win of the season.
Eli Hernandez allowed one run on two hits in 3.0 relief innings while
Ian Lanik pitched the ninth and picked up his sixth save of the season.
Emporia State has won seven of their last eight games and will look to clinch the series win on Saturday, March 22 in game two of the series against the Jets. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. from the Trusler Sports Complex.
NOTES:
Peyton Lewis recorded his sixth consecutive multi-hit game, the most since 2015 when Justin Harris tallied seven straight.
Ian Lanik's sixth save is the most in a single season by a Hornet pitcher since Nathan Whitcomb recorded 11 saves in 2017.
