Matt Marasco’s green light might become at least a stale yellow if he scares Emporia State coach Bob Fornelli again like he did on Thursday.
After receiving the steal sign and swiping second base in the sixth inning, Marasco took matters into his own hands, taking off for third just a few pitches later.
Luckily for him, he slid in safely, later scoring what would be the game-winning run in ESU’s 4-3 victory over Pittsburg State.
“Coach probably would have had some words for me if I didn’t make it in there safe,” Marasco said. “I was thankful I got in there.”
With one out in the inning, Marasco took a walk, then stole second safely after being given the sign by Fornelli.
“It was a close play,” Marasco said. “I was able to get my left hand in there, and the ump fortunately saw it right.”
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound junior evidently hadn’t had enough fun, deciding on his own to try to steal third base with two outs.
The move caught PSU — and Fornelli — by surprise, with Marasco sliding underneath a high throw.
“The first (steal) was me. The second one was ‘Holy cow, I didn’t know he was running,’” Fornelli said. “We have a green-light system on everybody, and he ran.
“I guess he did good.”
Andy Anderson made the effort count, lining a single into right field to score Marasco and give ESU a 4-1 lead.
The Hornets would need each of those runs.
ESU starter Mickey Lara ran into some problems in the eighth, allowing a double to Kevin Deao and then a homer to Drew Schulte that made it 4-3.
“There’s a point where they see you a few times, and they know to sit back a little bit more,” Lara said. “They’re college hitters — they can adjust.”
Lara still fought through, even after T.J. Franklin lined a single to left-center. Justin Northern was retired on a running catch in the right-center gap by Brian Majors, and Lara got Brett Hothan out on a pop-up to right.
“There’s probably 25 guys in our conference with better stuff (than Lara),” Fornelli said, “but he gives you the chance to win every day he goes out there.”
Daniel Waggoner slammed the door in the ninth, working around a two-out hit for his third save.
ESU improved to 25-0 this season in games that it leads after six innings.
“We’re to the point right now,” Lara said, “where we can’t afford to lose another game.”
The Hornets (27-19, 16-10) are fourth in the MIAA standings, with Missouri Western just one game behind them. The top four teams make the conference tournament.
ESU also is eighth in the latest North Central Regional Rankings. The top six in that group make the NCAA Tournament after the three automatic conference berths are given.
The Hornets have 11 games remaining, with seven of those games coming at home.
“Each game we play from now on is huge,” Marasco said. “It’s definitely a big win today.”
ESU looked like it might struggle offensively in the earlygoing, as it came away with no runs in the second inning after putting runners on second and third with nobody out.
Keith Hernandez helped get the offense started in the fourth, launching a no-doubt homer over the wall in left to tie it at 1.
Bill Sharp followed suit in the fifth, hitting an opposite-field home run to give the Hornets a 2-1 advantage.
A seeing-eye single by Majors gave ESU its other run, scoring Anderson later in the inning.
Lara provided eight solid innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while walking just one.
“He battles every time,” Fornelli said. “That’s him. He gives us a chance.”
Anderson went 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI, while Majors also contributed two hits.
ESU will continue its 11-games-in-11-days stretch today, taking on Washburn at 5 p.m. at Topeka’s Falley Field.
Thursday at Emporia
ESU 4, PSU 3
Pittsburg State 010 000 020 — 3 8 0
Emporia State 000 121 00X — 4 9 2
W — Lara. L — Sorell. Sv — Waggoner.
E — ESU: Crumbliss; Anderson. DP — Gorillas 1. LOB — Gorillas 8; Hornets 6. 2B — PSU: Deao,K; Franklin. HR — PSU: Schulte; ESU: Hernandez; Sharp. SB — PSU: Hothan; ESU: Marasco 2. CS — ESU: Crumbliss.