February 28, 2026 – Emporia State baseball split their Saturday doubleheader against Northwest Missouri, winning game one 5-0 before falling 4-3 in the series finale.
Game 1(ESU 5, NWMSU 0)
Colby Deaver got the start on the bump for Emporia State in game one and continued his scorching start to the season. He struck out the first batter and retired the Bearcats in order in the first frame.
The first runner to reach for either side came in the bottom of the second, as
Nathon Cruz was hit by a pitch with one out.
Brady Unrein followed with a walk, and both then scored on homer from
Dylan Brisbois to put Emporia State in front 3-0.
Deaver allowed one hit in each of the next three innings, but he continued to keep the Bearcats off the board.
Cooper Schwindt added to the total twice over his next two at-bats, hitting solo homers in the fourth and seventh innings to push the lead to 5-0.
Deaver's day ended after the eighth, when he worked around a leadoff hit-by-pitch to keep the score line intact.
Grant Huffman replaced Deaver in the ninth and worked around two runners to save the shutout and seal the 5-0 win for Emporia State.
A LOOK AT THE STATS
Emporia State's lone three hits came on their three home runs and despite five hits for the visitors they were kept off the board.
Colby Deaver pitched 8.0 shutout innings with six strikeouts, as he has now thrown 31.0- innings to start the season with no earned runs allowed.
Game 2 (NWMSU 4, ESU 3)
Quinton Chindamo made his second straight start in the series finale, and worked his way out of a bases loaded, one-out jam to keep the game scoreless. Emporia State again used the long ball, this time off the bat of
Frankie Santiago to put the Hornets ahead 1-0.
The Bearcats' big inning came in the second, as a couple of defensive miscues and a pair of hits gave Northwest Missouri a 3-1 lead. The score stayed the same until the bottom of the fourth, as
Brady Unrein picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly to center to make the score 3-2.
Neither offense could get anything going over the next four frames, as
Quinton Chindamo ended with a career-high 6.0 innings pitched before being relieved by
Nick Woodcock.
Northwest Missouri expanded their lead back to two in the top of the ninth, as they got a two-out RBI single which would prove pivotal. Emporia State quickly applied the pressure to Northwest Missouri in their last chance at the plate, as
Nathon Cruz was hit for the second time and
Brady Unrein drew his second walk to open the inning.
The first out came on a fielder's choice where Unrein was nearly safe at second, and after an RBI groundout to score Cruz, and moved the tying run to second, a ground ball to the right side became the third out as the Hornets fell 4-3.
A LOOK AT THE STATS
The Hornets again struggled offensively, pulling together just four hits in the game while the Bearcats had seven of their own.
Noah Steele went 2-4 while
Frankie Santiago and
Brady Unrein had a hit of their own.
UP NEXT
Emporia State will remain home next weekend as they host Pittsburg State from the Trusler Sports Complex. First pitch in game one of the series on Friday, March 6 is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
