WARRNESBURG, Mo. — Trent Lare wasn’t about to lie about how he was feeling in the post-game interview — especially with three 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 No. 22 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,” Wayne State 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.
On the game’s first play, Conner Crumbliss reached base on a controversial call. After grounding a slow roller to first, Crumbliss was able to evade a tag from first baseman Marc Manganaro by running a few steps onto the infield grass.
He was ruled safe, and coach John Manganaro came out to argue both that Crumbliss was tagged and also that he was out of the baseline.
“It was not the difference in the game,” coach Manganaro said, “but it definitely swung the momentum.”
The play turned out to be significant, as Brian Majors gave ESU its second baserunner when first baseman Marc Manganaro fell down after fielding Majors’ 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 that gave the Hornets a comfortable 3-0 advantage.
“The lead does a lot for you psychologically,” Crumbliss said. “It makes you feel like the better team the whole game instead of fighting to come back.”
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.
Crumbliss came through in the clutch, knocking a double off the right-field wall to drive in two and chase Mortimore from the game.
“It was a slider, and I got my hands out on it,” Crumbliss said. “I was lucky to get it over the rightfielder’s head and score some runs.”
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.
“We can’t strike out in that situation,” coach Manganaro said. “We’ve got to at least make them make a play on the baseball.”
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 forced a groundout from Jordan Webb to get out of the inning unscathed.
“My location stayed with me through the whole game,” said Lare, who retired nine of the final 10 batters to finish the game. “If you put your pitches in spots, it doesn’t matter what you throw.”
Lare (9-3) was able to shut down a powerful offense, as the Wildcats were ranked 12th in the nation in scoring (8.8 runs per game).
The senior threw 131 pitches, striking out six and walking just one.
ESU (40-22) advances to play Central Missouri at 7 tonight. UCM defeated Winona State, 7-2, in the opening round of the Regional Thursday.
The Hornets beat the Mules twice in Warrensburg last week to take the MIAA Tournament championship.
“I think we’re ready to play them,” Crumbliss said. “It should be a good game between two good teams.”
NCAA Division II
Central Regional
Thursday at Warrensburg, Mo.
ESU 6, WSC 2
ESU 210 003 000 — 6 11 2
WSC 000 110 000 — 2 7 2
W — Lare (9-3). L — Mortimore (3-6).
E — ESU: Anderson, Lare; WSC: Manganaro 2. DP — Wildcats 1. LOB — Hornets 8, Wildcats 7. 2B — ESU: Crumbliss, Barger. HR — ESU: Wolfe. HBP — ESU: McBratney, Barger. SH — ESU: Majors; WSC: Webb. SB — ESU: McBratney, Sharp.