Two out of three turned out to be pretty good for the Emporia State baseball team, as the Hornets took 8-1 and 11-3 victories over Southwest Baptist before losing the series finale, 18-14, on Saturday in what turned out to be a virtual tripleheader.
With ESU leading the first game of the series on Friday, rains forced the contest to be delayed and suspended until Saturday, which basically meant three games in one day for the two teams.
It was unfortunate timing for the Hornets, who had already jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the third inning.
“On Friday we came out and probably played our best baseball of the year for 2 1/2 innings,” ESU coach Bob Fornelli said. “Then the rain came.”
The two teams played the final 4 1/2 innings of the suspended game Saturday before engaging in their scheduled doubleheader.
ESU’s pitching stepped up to the challenge in the first two games.
After Trent Lare went two scoreless innings Friday, Kellen Mitts picked up right where his teammate left off on Saturday. The left-hander allowed just a single run in five innings while striking out seven to pick up the win.
Mickey Lara provided a solid effort on the mound in Game Two, striking out seven and allowing just three runs in the complete-game victory.
Mitts and Lara combining for 12 innings seemed like it would help ESU save its bullpen for later.
It didn’t turn out to be the case.
“Those two put us in perfect shape to win Game Three,” Fornelli said. “We just didn’t get it done.”
The Hornets switched pitchers six times in the finale, allowing 22 hits overall and 16 runs in the first five innings.
“We had one of those deals where we had to give up the big inning — we gave up three big innings,” Fornelli said. “We fought as hard as we could. We just couldn’t overcome it. Every guy we threw in there it seemed like was getting hit.”
ESU still never gave up even though it trailed 16-9 in the seventh inning and was a Baptist single away from getting run-ruled.
Two-run hits from Brian Majors and Tim Barger helped the Hornets in a five-run eighth that made it 16-14.
But ESU would come no closer.
“The fight to come back and do those things was really good,” Fornelli said. “I think we’re on the right track, and there’s a lot of season to go.”
Keith Hernandez and Mark McBratney both contributed a pair of home runs Saturday, while Billy Sharp and Matt Marasco also went deep.
ESU (15-10, 4-3 MIAA) will take on Nebraska-Omaha in a doubleheader Tuesday in Omaha.
Saturday at Bolivar, Mo.
Game One
Emporia State 213 020 0 — 8 10 0
SW Baptist 000 001 0 — 1 4 0
W — Mitts. L — Montgomery.
LOB — ESU 4; SBU 4. 2B — ESU: Carlson 2; Marasco; SBU: Baggett. 3B — ESU: Sharp. HR — ESU: McBratney; Hernandez; SBU: Miller. HBP — ESU: Crumbliss; Carlson. SF — ESU: Sharp; Barger. SB — Crumbliss.
Game Two
Emporia State 050 300 3 — 11 10 1
SW Baptist 000 000 3 — 3 8 1
W — Lara. L — Ledford.
E — ESU: Wolfe; SBU: Miller. DP — ESU 1. LOB — ESU 14; SBU 5. 2B — ESU: Crumbliss 2; McBratney 2; SBU: Baggett. HR — ESU: Hernandez; Marasco. HBP — ESU: Carlson; Hernandez;Wolfe 2. SB — ESU: Sharp; SBU: Asher; Capps. Reached on CI — SBU: Asher.
Game Three
Emporia State 000 430 250 — 14 14 2
SW Baptist 007 045 02X — 18 22 1
W — McMillin. L — Reese. Sv — Montgomery.
E — ESU: Carlson; SBU: Burris; Miller. DP — ESU 1. LOB — ESU 12; SBU 8. 2B — ESU: Hernandez; Sharp; Majors 2; SBU: Asher; Wilkins. 3B — SBU: Mountjoy. HR — ESU: McBratney; Sharp; SBU: Capps; Martinez; Powers 2. HBP — ESU: Crumbliss; Hernandez; SBU: Griffin; Wilkins; Rickman. SH — ESU: Carlson; SBU: Mountjoy. SB — SBU: Asher; Mountjoy; Miller.