Emporia State coach Bob Fornelli had compliments after Friday’s 6-2 loss against Missouri Western, but not many of them were directed at his own players and team.
“Western played hard and played the right way, and I didn’t see the Hornets do that,” Fornelli said. “It’s really disappointing, and it’s getting old. We’ve got to figure it out. It’s up to me to figure it out.”
Just after believing his team had turned a corner, Fornelli watched as familiar problems haunted ESU in the nine-inning loss.
The Hornets left 11 runners stranded and never could come up with the clutch hit they needed. They have left at least 10 runners stranded in three of their last four games.
“You can’t win that way,” Fornelli said. “We had some opportunities early in the game to do some good things, and we just didn’t find a way to get it done.”
After a one-run top of the first for Western, ESU responded with its own offensive production.
Conner Crumbliss started with a single, then Billy Sharp doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs.
Groundouts from Mark McBratney and Keith Hernandez scored two runs, but the Hornets couldn’t muster any offense after that.
ESU went scoreless over the next eight innings.
“We were loose, and we were having fun early,” ESU senior Jerry Cook said. “Then we just kind of got tight and didn’t get with it.”
The Hornets had the bases loaded with two outs in both the second and sixth innings with Sharp at the plate, but the centerfielder grounded out once and struck out the other time.
“I was trying to do too much, put too much pressure on myself,” Sharp said. “I’ve just got to find a way to get it done. I need to get a hit in those situations for us to win those games.”
The Griffons posted two runs in the sixth and a single run in the seventh to add to their 6-2 lead.
A.J. Huttonlocker provided a quality start for Western after the rough beginning, going six innings while giving up just two runs.
Kyle Grup was just as impressive in relief, going three scoreless innings to close it out.
Cook led ESU, going 2-for-4. He was the only Hornet with two hits.
“We didn’t come together,” Cook said. “A couple guys were yelling at everybody. You can’t do that. You’ve got to relax, and we weren’t relaxed at all.”
Trent Lare took the loss for ESU.
The Hornets (11-8, 0-1 MIAA) will face the Griffons in a 1 p.m. doubleheader today and in a nine-inning game at noon Sunday.
“Maybe we’re just not good enough, but I’m never going to believe that,” Fornelli said. “This team’s be as good as we want to be, and right now, we don’t want to be very good.”
Friday at Emporia
Missouri Western 6, ESU 2
Missouri Western 110 102 100 — 6 13 1
Emporia State 200 000 000 — 2 8 2
W — Huttonlocker. L — Lare.
E — MWSU: Payson; ESU: McBratney(2); Carlson(5). LOB — Griffons 9; Hornets 11. 2B — MWSU: Landi; ESU: Sharp(4); Anderson(2). 3B — MWSU: Landi. HR — MWSU: Hobie. HBP — ESU: Barger 2. SH — MWSU: Payson; Toedebusch; ESU: Carlson(1). SB — MWSU: Landi; Payson; Carolan; ESU: Sharp(4).