The No. 21 Emporia State baseball team couldn’t stop the No. 7 Grand Valley State bats in a pair of losses to the Lakers on Tuesday in Pittsburg.
ESU dropped the first game, 15-6, before rallying in the second game only to fall short, 12-11.
In Game One, a two-run triple by Chris Evans in the third inning gave ESU a 5-4 lead, but it would be short-lived.
GVSU responded with six runs in the top of the fourth, using two walks, two errors and a three-run home run by Spud McKenzie to recapture a 10-5 advantage.
Evans went 2-for-3 for the Hornets, while Mark McBratney added two hits and a run scored.
In the nightcap, ESU rallied from a 9-2 deficit to tie it at 10 in the fifth inning after consecutive four-run frames.
McBratney delivered the biggest hit, sending a three-run homer to right-center to tie it.
GVSU (7-0) scored two in the bottom of the inning, and ESU never did overcome the deficit.
Bill Sharp added a home run in the second game, while Conner Crumbliss went 3-for-4 with three runs scored.
Kellen Mitts and Brock Nehls picked up the two losses for the Hornets.
ESU (7-6) will be home at 1 p.m. Saturday to play Nebraska-Omaha in a doubleheader.
Game One
GRAND VALLEY 15, ESU 6
GVS 130 621 2 — 15 15 0
ESU 014 001 0 — 6 7 2
W — Melucci. L — Mitts.
E — ESU: Crumbliss 2. DP — Grand Valley 1; Emporia St. 1. LOB — Grand Valley 6; Emporia St. 6. 2B — GVS: Skirka(3); McKenzie(1); Robrahn(2); ESU: McBratney(3); Hernandez (7); Sharp (2). 3B — ESU: Evans(1). HR — GVS: Skirka(1); McKenzie 2(3); Radde(1). HBP — GVS: VanStreain; ESU: Carlson 2. SF — GVS: Skirka(2).
Game Two
GRAND VALLEY 12, ESU 11
ESU 011 441 0 — 11 8 2
GVS 027 120 X — 12 16 1
W — Huml. L — Nehls.
E — ESU: Crumbliss (4); Carlson(4); GVS: Maguire(1). DP — Emporia St. 1. LOB — Emporia St. 7; Grand Valley 4. 2B — GVS: VanStreain(2); Smith(2). 3B — GVS: Skirka(2); McKenzie(2). HR — ESU: McBratney(4); Sharp(2); GVS: Strutz(1). SF — ESU: Hernandez(2); Marasco(2); GVS: Hinke(1). SB — ESU: Crumbliss(3); McBratney(6); Sharp(2).