The good news for the Emporia State baseball team was that it took two of four games over the weekend from No. 5 Central Missouri.
Still, the Hornets couldn’t help but be disappointed after they failed to take the series in both of their final games, including a lopsided 23-9 run-rule loss to wrap up the four-game set on Sunday.
“Today wasn’t a good result,” ESU coach Bob Fornelli said. “Things got out of hand from the first inning.”
Even that might have been an understatement.
With wind gusts blowing up to 40 miles per hour out to left field, Central Missouri sent 14 hitters to the plate in a 10-run, 10-hit first inning.
Most of the mashing came off ESU starter Ty Reese, who lasted just 1/3 of an inning before being pulled. He allowed two home runs, two doubles, three singles and seven earned runs.
“You have to really work on getting ground balls, and I didn’t do that today,” Reese said. “Any flyball had a chance to get out.”
The Hornets actually responded with three runs in the bottom of the first, but the Mules scored four runs in the second to extend their lead once again.
“We knew we just needed to start chipping away,” ESU shortstop Andy Anderson said, “but after we put up three and they came back and scored more, it was just too hard to come back.”
Anderson provided the offensive firepower for the Hornets.
After being walked twice by his former Neosho County teammate Jarod Potts, Anderson provided a double in the sixth and a solo home run to straight-away center in the seventh off UCM reliever Peter Davenport.
Anderson finished with three RBI and two runs scored.
UCM (40-8, 22-5 MIAA) put up its most runs this season while also adding a season-high 24 hits.
“There were a lot of balls in the air that fell right behind our infielders,” Fornelli said. “It just wasn’t going to be our day.”
The Hornets had better results on Saturday, taking a 3-0 victory against the Mules before losing the nightcap, 7-5.
Trent Lare held UCM scoreless in the first game, allowing just three hits while striking out eight.
The Hornets scored all three runs in the first, with Nick Wolfe providing a two-out, two-run double to right-center.
It was the first time that UCM had lost consecutive games all season.
In Game Two, the Mules used a six-run fourth inning to take the lead for good.
Brock Nehls took the loss for ESU, allowing four runs in three-plus innings.
Brian Majors, Mark McBratney and Brian Majors all had a pair of hits.
ESU (26-19, 15-10 MIAA) became the first team to defeat Central twice this season.
“Coming out with two wins we’re pretty happy,” Anderson said, “but it would have been nice to get a couple more after winning the first two.”
The Hornets will face Pittsburg State at 3 p.m. in a home doubleheader on Wednesday.
Saturday at Emporia
Game One
ESU 3, UCM 0
Central Missouri 000 000 0 — 0 3 0
Emporia State 300 000 X — 3 4 2
W — Lare. L — Gilleland.
E — ESU: Crumbliss; Anderson. DP — Mules 1; Hornets 1. LOB — Mules 5; Hornets 4. 2B — ESU: Hernandez; Wolfe. HBP — ESU: Hernandez; Marasco. SF — ESU: Marasco. CS — ESU: Anderson.
Game Two
UCM 7, ESU 5
Central Missouri 010 600 0 — 7 10 2
Emporia State 300 200 0 — 5 7 0
W — Radliff. L — Nehls. Sv — Collins.
E — UCM: Paul; Kent. DP — Mules 1. LOB — Mules 4; Hornets 5. 2B — ESU: Majors 2. HR — UCM: Paul; Dykins. HBP — ESU: Barger. SB — UCM: Rutledge; Kent; McBryde; ESU: Hernandez; Sharp 2. CS — UCM: Kent.
Sunday at Emporia
UCM 23, ESU 9
UCM (10)40 030 6 — 23 24 2
Emporia State 310 003 2 — 9 7 0
W — Potts. L — Reese.
E — UCM: Rutledge; McBryde. DP — Mules 1. LOB — Mules 7; Hornets 8. 2B — UCM: Mochizuki; Paul 2; Dykins; Perez; Feil; ESU: Anderson. 3B — UCM: Rutledge. HR — UCM: Paul; Rutledge; ESU: Anderson. HBP — UCM: Mochizuki; Paul; Dykins; ESU: Crumbliss; Majors; Marasco. SF — UCM: Rutledge. SB — UCM: Mochizuki; Dykins; Weatherford.