The Emporia State baseball team’s powerful offense mustered just five runs Tuesday in 4-1 and 5-4 losses against Nebraska-Omaha.
ESU already had defeated UNO twice this season before Tuesday’s defeats.
“If it isn’t one thing, it’s another,” ESU coach Bob Fornelli said. “We’re just fighting through some things.”
The Hornets (15-12) mustered just three hits in Game One against Maverick starter Tyler Cloyd.
ESU scratched its only run in the top of the first, as singles by Conner Crumbliss and Nick Carlson put runners on first and third before a sacrifice fly by Keith Hernandez.
UNO (11-13) rallied for the victory late, scoring one in the fifth and three in the sixth.
The Hornets grabbed a 4-1 lead in the second inning of the nightcap but were held scoreless for the final five frames.
“This last weekend we really swung it well and did some good things,” Fornelli said. “It was just a different day. It didn’t happen (Tuesday).”
Once again the Mavericks came from behind, scoring three in the bottom of the second and the game-winner in the fifth.
Matt Marasco led the ESU offense in Game Two, going 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Crumbliss went 0-for-4, ending his hitting streak at 21 games.
Kellen Mitts and Grant Meisenheimer picked up the Hornet losses.
“I thought we pitched pretty well today for the most part,” Fornelli said. “Any mistake we made, they capitalized on. We had some opportunities offensively to capitalize, and it just wasn’t meant to be.”
ESU will travel to Fort Hays State on Friday for the beginning of a four-game series.
The rest of the Hornets’ regular-season games will be against MIAA opponents.
“We’re not going to hang our heads,” Fornelli said. “We’re just going to keep fighting.”
Tuesday at Omaha, Neb.
Game One
UNO 4, ESU 1
Emporia State 100 000 0 — 1 3 1
Nebraska-Omaha 000 013 X — 4 8 2
W — Cloyd. L — Mitts.
E — ESU: Anderson; UNO: Eikmeier; Cloyd. LOB — ESU 5; Mavericks 7. 2B — UNO: Porter. 3B — UNO: Weimer. HBP — UNO: Porter; Klapperich. SH — UNO: Frew; Kotera. SF — ESU: Hernandez. SB — ESU: Carlson; UNO: Frew 2.
Game Two
UNO 5, ESU 4
Emporia State 022 000 0 — 4 7 0
Nebraska-Omaha 013 010 X — 5 5 1
E — UNO: Porter. DP — Mavericks 1. LOB — ESU 8; Mavericks 3. 2B — ESU: Marasco 2; UNO: Weimer. HR — UNO: Porter. HBP — ESU: Carlson. CS — ESU: McBratney.