Mark McBratney delivered a game-winning, two-RBI single in the eighth as the Emporia State baseball team held on in a 9-7 victory over Northwest Missouri State in the first round of the MIAA Tournament at Warrensburg, Mo., on Friday.
The Bearcats rallied for two runs to tie it at 7 in the seventh, but McBratney’s clutch two-out hit proved to be the difference-maker.
Brock Nehls recorded the final three outs for ESU to seal the win.
“We did a lot of scary things — committed four errors, hit a couple guys and made a couple bad mental decisions — but, boy, we played hard,” ESU coach Bob Fornelli said. “We kept competing and didn’t get down and found a way to win a baseball game.”
The Hornets now have won seven consecutive games.
ESU’s bats once again stepped up to the challenge, as the Hornets pounded out 16 hits, which included home runs from Matt Marasco and Nick Wolfe. Tim Barger also was solid from the nine-hole, going 4-for-4 with two runs scored.
“The one guy who helped us the most probably was Tim Barger,” Fornelli said. “He did a great job for us and really was a catalyst for our offense.”
Nehls picked up the win in relief, replacing starter Trent Lare, who allowed four earned runs in 6 1/3 innings.
Nehls was nearly perfect, allowing just two hits and no runs while striking out four in the final 2 2/3 innings.
Conner Crumbliss went 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Billy Sharp added two hits and two RBI.
The Hornets (36-21), who are still battling for a spot in next week’s Regional tournament, will face Central Missouri, which beat Fort Hays State 7-6 in 16 innings on Friday, at 3:30 p.m. today.
“We know what’s ahead of us right now,” Fornelli said, “and we’ve got to find a way to win this tournament.”
MIAA Tournament
First Round
Friday at Warrensburg, Mo.
ESU 9, NWMSU 7
Northwest Missouri 011 300 200 — 7 9 1
Emporia State 005 020 02X — 9 16 4
W — Nehls. L — Lamers.
E — NWMSU: Lamers; ESU: Crumbliss; Sharp; Anderson; Lare. DP — Bearcats 2. LOB — Bearcats 7; Hornets 7. 2B — NWMSU: Malick; White; Westman; Henne 2; ESU: Crumbliss,C; McBratney; Hernandez; Sharp. HR — ESU: Marasco; Wolfe. HBP — NWMSU: Malick; White; Benham. SH — NWMSU: Malick; Bradshaw; White; Westman; ESU: Crumbliss; Majors. SF — NWMSU: Bradshaw. SB — NWMSU: White; ESU: Sharp.