ESU Sports
Don Weast, Assistatnt Athletic Director fro Media Relations
BOLIVAR, Mo. – The No. 12 Hornet baseball team improved to 40-9 on the season and finished MIAA play with a 29-6 record after completing a sweep over Southwest Baptist Sunday afternoon. Emporia State scored eight runs in the sixth inning to clinch a 15-4 win over the Bearcats.
The Hornets scored early on an error from the Bearcats’ catcher to go up 1-0 in the first inning. Southwest Baptist answered with their own run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at one run a piece. The Bearcats scored again in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead. Emporia State tied the game 2-2 in the fourth inning when Zac Shaw scored on a groundout play. Southwest Baptist scored another run in the fifth inning to regain the lead 3-2 heading into the sixth.
Emporia State scored eight runs on just three hits in the top of the sixth inning to take a 10-3 lead. After a Tate Kastens lead off single, five Hornets were walked to plate three runs and give Emporia State a 5-3 lead. Jonny Hodges had a two RBI single to right field with two outs to extend the lead 7-3 over the Bearcats. Following Taylor Sanagorski finding his way home on a Southwest Baptist error, Shaw singled up the middle to plate the final two runs of the inning.
The Hornets did not relent as they scored another five runs, this time on five hits, in the seventh inning. Sanagorski doubled to right field to plate Tucker Perkins and extend the Emporia State lead 11-4. Jodges smashed a triple to right center to score another two runs. Kastens followed with a two run home run to end the evening offensively for the Hornets.
Shaw went three for three with two runs, two RBI and two walks. Hodges and Kastens both hit two for three. Hodges had four RBI and two runs while Kastens had two RBI, three runs and two walks. The Hornets hit five doubles as a team. Jordan Plank improved to 6-1 on the year, pitching 5.0 innings and allowing three runs on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
The No. 12 Hornets will face Missouri Southern in the first round of the MIAA Tournament on Thursday, May 11 at 4 p.m. The tournament will be played in Joplin, Mo. on Warren Turner Field.