April 17, 2026 – Emporia State baseball picked up their third ranked win of the season with a 3-2 win over 16th-ranked Central Missouri on Friday night behind another quality start by
Colby Deaver.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After roughly 40 minutes spent in a lightning delay, the series opener got underway, and the Mules quickly put pressure on Deaver with a leadoff walk. However, the Hornet starter forced a 6-4-3 double play on his way to a shutout first frame.
In the bottom half,
Logan Myers opened the inning with a leadoff single through the left side, and two batters later scored on a two-run home run by
Noah Steele to put Emporia State ahead 2-0.
The Mules finally caused trouble for Deaver in the third inning, as they used four singles and a double steal to push two runs across and pull level in the ballgame.
After the third, Deaver and UCM starter Sawyer Allen kept both offenses in check through the fifth, with Emporia State finding the difference in the bottom of the sixth.
Evan Abbott reached on an infield single, and then moved to third on a double by
Noah Steele into the gap to put two in scoring position with no outs. The Hornets scraped one run across on an RBI groundout by
Frankie Santiago to take the 3-2 lead.
Deaver took advantage of the regained lead, and retired the Mules in order in the seventh, and stranded a two-out single in the eighth to cap his outing at 8.0 innings.
In the ninth,
Grant Huffman entered from the bullpen for his seventh save opportunity, and used two strikeouts to convert the chance into his seventh save of the season, sealing Emporia State's 3-2 win over the Mules.
A LOOK AT THE STATS
Emporia State had six hits, with
Logan Myers,
Evan Abbott and
Noah Steele tallying five.
Noah Steele hit his 13th home run of the season and
Logan Myers recorded his 21st multi-hit game.
On the mound,
Colby Deaver went 8.0 innings for the second time this season, striking out nine and allowing just two runs with one walk on the way to his ninth win of the season.
Grant Huffman picked up his seventh save of the season and recorded his 14th outing this season with no earned runs allowed.
UP NEXT
Game two of the series between Emporia State and #16 Central Missouri is scheduled for Saturday, April 18. First pitch between the Hornets and Mules is set for 2:00 p.m.
NOTES
Noah Steele's first-inning home run marked the 28th of his Hornet career, putting him into a tie for seventh in program history with both
TJ Racherbaumer and Mike Carlson.
