ESU baseball wins Regional opener over Wayne State, 6-2
Hornets advance in Central Regional
By Jesse Newell
Thursday, May 17, 2007
WARRENSBURG, Mo. — Trent Lare wasn’t about to lie about how he was feeling in the post-game interview — especially with three different icebags strapped to different parts of his left arm.
“I’m dog-tired,” the Emporia State pitcher said. “I could feel myself getting worn out late.”
The fatigue still didn’t seem to affect his performance, as the senior pitched ESU into the second round of the Central Regional with a complete-game effort in the Hornets’ 6-2 victory over Wayne (Neb.) State.
Lare bettered his longest outing of the year by two innings, holding the Wildcats to two runs and seven hits. He didn’t allow a hit after the sixth inning.
“Give him credit. He pitched well,” WSC coach John Manganaro said. “He mixed things up, hit spots in and out and did a good job.”
ESU also benefited from a good start offensively in the top of the first.
Conner Crumbliss reached safely after evading a tag from first baseman Marc Manganaro on a grounder, and Brian Majors gave ESU its second baserunner when Manganaro fell down after fielding his bunt.
Mark McBratney lined a single to left to load the bases, and Keith Hernandez’s smash up the middle scored one to make it 1-0.
The Hornets plated their other run in the first on Matt Marasco’s double-play ball to short.
ESU tacked on another in the second, as Nick Wolfe led off the inning with a towering home run to right-center.
After Wayne State scratched a run across in the fourth, the Hornets broke it open in the sixth.
With one out, Andy Anderson chopped an infield single off the glove of pitcher Travis Mortimore, and Tim Barger followed with a double down the right-field line.
Conner Crumbliss came through in the clutch, knocking a double off the wall to drive in two and chase Mortimore from the game.
After a flyout, Mark McBratney’s single to left-center drove in Crumbliss to extend ESU’s lead to 6-1.
Meanwhile, Lare did his best to work out of jams.
He allowed a run in the sixth but struck out three-hole hitter Scott Bidroski with runners on second and third and two outs.
In the sixth, WSC started the inning with back-to-back singles, but Lare struck out Diego Marquez, got Sean Soderberg on a flyout to right, and coaxed a groundout from Jordan Webb to get out of the inning unscathed.