WICHITA — The moment was there for the Emporia State baseball team.
Unfortunately for the Hornets, a timely hit wasn’t.
ESU fell 6-3 to No. 10 Wichita State on Tuesday, but the story for the Hornets was how close they came in the middle innings to putting a real scare into the Division-I perennial power.
“I thought we hung with them,” ESU catcher Keith Hernandez said. “I thought we could have pulled it out.”
Those thoughts were most realistic in the fifth inning.
With ESU trailing 4-1, Andy Anderson beat out an infield single, Chris Dobler walked, and both advanced a base on a wild pitch with two outs.
Brian Majors came through in the clutch, lining a single under the glove of WSU third baseman Conor Gillaspie to score both runners and make it 4-3.
ESU, though, let an opportunity slip away to potentially tie the game or take the lead.
Anthony Dreiling knocked an opposite-field single to right, and Hernandez walked, loading the bases for cleanup hitter Eric Shortell and forcing a pitching change from WSU coach Gene Stephenson.
Shortell followed with a sharp grounder to third, but was thrown out by Gillaspie to end the threat.
“That was one of the big spots,” Hernandez said. “If we could have got two or three (more) runs there, we probably would have busted it open.”
WSU added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh to make it 6-3, and the Hornets’ only other threat came in the eighth.
With runners on first and third and two outs, ESU’s Richie Stewart scorched a liner that was caught by WSU second basemen Josh Workman.
“We battled,” ESU coach Bob Fornelli said. “We’ve got nothing to hang our heads about.”
Hernandez helped ESU get over its early-game jitters at Eck Stadium.
After the Hornets started with two quiet outs — Majors struck out and Dreiling popped to the catcher — Hernandez picked on an outside fastball.
The senior lined a shot to right, getting enough of it to push it over the 330-foot sign for a solo home run.
“I think that kind of set them back a little bit,” Hernandez said, “and made them say, ‘Uh oh, they’re here to play.’”
Meanwhile, ESU was able to remain competitive thanks to good pitching.
The Hornets were especially strong out of the bullpen, as Ty Reese allowed just two runs on two hits in 4 2/3 innings.
“I changed them up a little bit,” Reese said with a smile. “I don’t know if they’ve seen that slow of a changeup or not.”
ESU’s Richard Timbrook allowed a hit in the eighth but struck out the other three WSU batters he faced.
In all, the Hornet pitchers struck out 13 Shocker hitters, meaning more than half of the WSU outs came on strikeouts.
Hernandez led ESU’s offense, going 1-for-1 with three walks. No Hornet had more than one hit.
ESU mustered just six hits against WSU’s four pitchers.
“They have a great program, and they’re always going to pitch,” Fornelli said. “If you’re not aggressive, you’re going to be in trouble because they’re not going to walk many guys.”
The Hornets were hurt once again by an injury, as Matt Marasco left the game in the fourth with a sore hamstring.
Meanwhile, ESU’s Conner Crumbliss is set to have surgery today on his left hand after gashing it Monday in the team’s clubhouse. The second baseman is expected to miss at least a month with the injury.
Wichita State 6, Emporia State 3
Tuesday at Wichita
No. 18 ESU 100 020 000 — 3 6 0
No. 10 WSU 121 001 10X — 6 10 0
W — Kelley. L — Nehls. Sv — Womack.
DP — ESU 1, WSU 1. LOB — ESU 6, WSU 6. 2B — WSU: Coleman 2. HR — ESU: Hernandez; WSU: Workman. SF — WSU: Hill. SB — WSU: Jones, Coleman, Lassley. CS — ESU: Marasco.