Now that’s more like it.
Just a day after Emporia State coach Bob Fornelli questioned his team’s desire against Upper Iowa, the Hornets responded Monday with a dominating 17-3 victory over the Peacocks at Trusler Sports Complex.
“Yesterday was a day we didn’t focus, and we paid for it,” Fornelli said. “Today, we came out with pretty good focus and pretty good intent, and it was a good day for us.”
ESU got the bats started early Monday, scoring a single run in the first inning before exploding for six in the second.
Matt Marasco and Andy Anderson contributed RBI singles, while Conner Crumbliss added a two-run triple, scoring after Jamie Terres’ throw sailed into the dugout.
“I’m getting lucky, I guess,” said Crumbliss, who finished 2-for-3. “I’m just going to keep swinging and hope they keep falling in.”
Fornelli helped out a pair of his hitters in ESU’s four-run third.
After telling Jerry Cook to take a simpler approach at the plate, the senior blasted a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left-center for a solo homer.
“Jerry’s first at-bat he was swinging like he needed to hit a 900-foot home run,” Fornelli said. “The fences are only 325 (feet away). You don’t have to hit it that far. We just told him to relax, and he did a good job and got a ball in the wind.”
Later in the inning, Fornelli came down from the third-base coaching box to talk to Keith Hernandez after the junior was fooled on a pitch.
Hernandez lined the next offering into left field for a two-run single, giving the Hornets an 11-0 lead.
“Keith was just too anxious. He won’t stay back,” Fornelli said. “We just made him stay back and throw his hands at the ball.”
Pitcher Kellen Mitts made sure the lead would stand. The junior went five innings, allowing seven hits an just a single run to pick up his second victory.
Playing with a lead was a welcome change for ESU, which fell behind 7-0 in the second inning of Sunday’s loss to Upper Iowa.
“Kellen did a good job for us,” Fornelli said. “That’s the main focus for us right now, to come out and have a good start and keep us involved in the game.”
The Hornets pounded out 18 hits and played errorless ball despite making many late substitutions.
Crumbliss led ESU offensively, adding three RBI and four runs scored.
Cook, Mark McBratney, Nick Carlson and Tim Barger also contributed two hits each.
The Hornets (10-7) will play host to Central Oklahoma at 3 p.m. today. ESU lost to UCO, 6-1, at Edmond, Okla., on Feb. 20.
Monday at Emporia
ESU 17, Upper Iowa 3
Upper Iowa 000 100 002 — 3 10 4
Emporia State 164 030 03X — 17 18 0
W — Mitts. L — Wilsing.
E — UI: Fjelland 2; Terres; Price. DP — Peacocks 3; Hornets 2. LOB — Peacocks 11; Hornets 9. 2B — UI: Walser; Mendoza; ESU: McBratney; Barger. 3B — ESU: Crumbliss. HR — UI: Walser; ESU: Cook. HBP — UI: Berg; Price; ESU: Carlson 2; Anderson; Barger. SF — ESU: McBratney. SB — UI: Berg; Mendoza; ESU: Anderson.