The first one was scary and the second one was silly.
But, either way, the Emporia State baseball team accomplished what it needed to against Truman on Friday, taking 4-3 and 17-0 victories at the Trusler Sports Complex in Emporia.
The originally scheduled one game was changed to a doubleheader because of the threat of inclement weather on Sunday.
“We got the wins — that’s the main thing,” ESU senior Mark McBratney said. “We need these last four games.”
With the victories, ESU moved up to second in the MIAA standings. The top four teams advance to the conference tournament next weekend.
The Hornets still haven’t clinched a berth just yet, as three teams trail them by one game or less in the standings.
That means with a sweep in today’s 1 p.m. doubleheader against Truman, ESU would clinch a spot in the tourney.
ESU used two completely different methods to pick up victories on Friday.
In the first game, ESU’s Bill Sharp broke a 2-all tie in the bottom of the sixth, lining a two-out single to right to score McBratney from third.
Hornet starter Brock Nehls couldn’t quite finish it off, however, giving up two-out doubles to Zach Cox and pinch hitter Brian Wilkin in the seventh. After an error, Nehls escaped the first-and-third jam by picking Corey Eagen off first base.
With Eagen in a pickle, ESU second baseman Conner Crumbliss made a crucial play for the Hornets, going into a headlong dive to tag Eagen out less than a second before pinch runner Quinten Fisher scored the go-ahead run.
ESU loaded the bases in the seventh with one out, but Keith Hernandez popped out to first and Marasco’s liner in the right-center gap was chased down by Matt Macke.
“I thought it was going to fall,” Marasco said. “It looked like it for awhile.”
He wouldn’t miss his second chance to win it in the ninth.
With the bases loaded and one out, Marasco picked on the first pitch, lining it up the middle to score Crumbliss for the game-winner.
“I knew he didn’t want to put me on, so he definitely had to throw a strike,” Marasco said. “(The first one)’s usually a good one to hit if you’re ready for it.”
McBratney and Bill Sharp led ESU offensively with a pair of hits each, while Aaron Burris picked up the win with a scoreless inning in relief.
Daniel Waggoner also contributed a scoreless inning, relieving Nehls in the eighth.
“It was a battle,” ESU coach Bob Fornelli said. “We didn’t swing the bats the way we’re capable of, and it almost cost us the game.”
ESU gave Truman no chance to hang around in Game Two, exploding for 14 runs in the first inning.
The Hornets tagged Truman starter Corey Tomasek with 12 earned runs in 1/3 of an inning, raising his earned-run average three full points from 6.75 to 9.77.
ESU pounded out 11 hits and went through two full revolutions in its batting order in the first inning alone.
“If we do that the rest of the year,” McBratney said, “we’ve got a good shot to do what we want to do.”
Senior Brett Brandon pitched a complete-game shutout in his final home outing, striking out nine and walking none.
Crumbliss, Brian Majors and McBratney all had three hits in the second game, with McBratney adding four RBI and three runs scored.
Keith Hernandez contributed a home run and four RBI, and Nick Wolfe also homered with three RBI.
“That was what the offense we saw in September and October,” Fornelli said. “Hopefully that will carry over. Our work’s not done.”
ESU will play its final two home games today. Senior recognition will take place before the first pitch at 1.
Friday at Emporia
Game One
ESU 4, Truman 3 (9 innings)
Truman 020 000 100 — 3 8 0
ESU 200 001 001 — 4 10 2
W — Burris. L — Brady.
E — ESU: Anderson, Nehls. LOB — Bulldogs 6, Hornets 12. 2B — TU: Pearl, Cox, Wilkin; ESU: McBratney, Anderson. 3B — TU: Thomas. HBP — ESU: Crumbliss. SH — ESU: Majors. SF — ESU: Hernandez. SB — TU: Bleish, Pearl 2; ESU: Crumbliss, McBratney, Sharp. CS — TU: Jones.
Game Two
ESU 17, Truman 0
Truman 000 000 0 — 0 5 0
ESU (14)30 000 X — 17 16 0
W — Brandon. L — Tomasek.
DP — Hornets 1. LOB — Bulldogs 3, Hornets 4. 2B — ESU: Crumbliss 2, Majors, McBratney, Hernandez, Anderson. HR — ESU: Hernandez, Wolfe. HBP — ESU: Hernandez, Wolfe.