Tim Barger could have made it so much easier on himself.
The Emporia State senior — who entered Friday’s doubleheader with Bemidji State without a collegiate home run — could have used the wind to his advantage. He could have hit it down the line and picked on Glennen Field’s short fences.
Instead, Barger decided to do it all on his own, blasting a three-run no-doubt home run to center field in ESU’s 18-7 victory over Bemidji State.
ESU also took the first game of the doubleheader, winning 17-3.
“It was one of those days I guess,” a smiling Barger said. “It feels good.”
The shot helped ESU complete a seven-run fourth inning, as the Hornets took a commanding 16-5 lead.
“It couldn’t happen to a better kid,” ESU coach Bob Fornelli said. “It’s his first one in college, and it got us going. It’s nice to see things happen to good people.”
The Hornets established their bats in Game One, as four home runs helped ESU to its dominating victory.
After Bemidji State took a 2-1 advantage into the bottom of the second, shortstop Mike Wagner bobbled a Keith Hernandez groundball, getting the out at first but failing to turn an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.
ESU would make him pay.
After a Matt Marasco walk, Chad Griffin launched a grand slam to left-center, giving ESU a 6-2 lead.
Karl Willers came in relief for the Beavers, and Jerry Cook knocked his first pitch over the wall in left-center for a solo shot.
“When you come out here and have the wind behind you,” Cook said, “all you have to worry about is staying back and hitting the ball.”
The Emporia High graduate let the wind do the work for him in the sixth, lining a pitch just over the fence in left for his second homer of the game.
The senior finished the contest 3-for-4 with three runs scored and 6 RBI.
Nick Carlson and Hernandez had the other home runs for ESU, which evened its mark at 4-4 with the four-game sweep of Bemidji State.
“I think this weekend we’ve finally started to come together as a team,” Barger said. “We finally got a chance to be together for a weekend to start trusting in each other and believing in each other. I think that’s big for us.”
Fornelli said the team still had a ways to go before it hit its stride.
“I couldn’t tell you when the light switch is going to flick on,” Fornelli said. “We have to start having that arrogance when we walk on the field to know that we’re going to get it done day in and day out. If we can do that, we can start turning the corner.”
ESU will play host to Newman at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Game One
Bemidji State 200 010 0 — 3 4 2
No. 25 ESU 162 143 X — 17 13 1
Win — Mitts (1-0). Loss — Langlie (0-1).
E — Corbett; Willers; Marasco. DP — Hornets 1. LOB — BSU 3; Hornets 8. 2B — Cook. HR — Juntunen; Wagner; Hernandez;
Griffin; Cook 2. HBP — Anderson; McBratney; Cook; Barger 2. SB — Sharp; Evans.
Game Two
Bemidji State 122 000 2 — 7 11 3
No. 25 ESU 405 702 X — 18 19 1
Win — Meisenheimer (1-0). Loss — Meech (0-1).
E — Bohannan 2(3); Meech; Meisenheimer(1). DP — Hornets 1. LOB — BSU 7; Hornets 4. 2B — Stoloski (2); Juntunen (2); Crumbliss 2(3); Hernandez (6); Hogan (1); Marasco 2(4); Carlson 2(4). HR — Turk (1); Carlson (1); Barger (1). HBP — Hernandez; Wolfe.