The Emporia State baseball team scored no runs after the first inning of its game Monday against Upper Iowa.
The Hornets will take the win all the same.
Thanks to a 10-run first inning, and also some timely pitching and a potential game-saving catch, ESU came away with a 10-8 victory over Upper Iowa on Monday night.
“It’s good to get 10 in the first inning, but that’s a lesson we need to learn,” ESU third baseman Nick Carlson said. “There’s eight other innings after that. We’ve got to keep scoring runs every inning.”
The Hornets also won their first game of the day, 14-8, against Fort Hays State.
After the offensive outburst in the first against Upper Iowa, ESU had a pair of players step up late to preserve the victory.
Reliever Aaron Burris pitched the Hornets out of a jam in the seventh. With runners on second and third and one out, Burris struck out Josh McKeon and then got Erik Sorensen to pop out as ESU held on to its 10-8 advantage.
“Aaron Burris won that game for us,” ESU coach Bob Fornelli said.
Kellen Lane had just as big a role in the ninth.
With two outs and a runner on, Brock Spangenberg connected on a shot deep to the right-center gap.
“Off the bat, that had everyone real nervous,” ESU designated hitter Kevin Wempe said.
After getting a good jump, though, Lane helped save the game, fully extending for a diving catch that ended the contest.
Eric Shortell went 3-for-4 against Upper Iowa with two runs scored, while Andy Anderson added a three-run double in the first.
ESU came from behind late to top FHSU in the matinee.
The Hornets scored six runs in the seventh to turn an 8-7 deficit into a 14-8 lead.
Most of the runs came with help from FHSU pitchers.
ESU was plunked four times in the inning, with Anderson and Brian Majors taking advantage with two-run hits.
The Hornets were hit by pitches eight times against FHSU and 13 times combined in their two games Monday.
“The big thing about our offense is to find a way to first,” Wempe said. “That’s our main goal every time at the plate. Getting hit is one way, and I guess that’s part of the deal.”
Wempe led ESU’s offense from the leadoff spot, going 3-for-3 with two walks and four runs scored.
“Kevin’s a guy who has paid his dues,” Fornelli said, “and he’s taken advantage of his opportunity.”
Carlson added two hits and three RBI, while Majors and Matt Marasco also had two hits.
ESU (12-3) finished the weekend 5-1 despite playing without three-hole hitter Keith Hernandez, who is battling through an oblique injury.
The Hornets will have a home series with Truman this weekend beginning on Friday. The games were originally scheduled to be played at Truman but were moved because of wet fields in Kirksville, Mo.
Game One
ESU 14, Fort Hays State 8
FHSU 003 022 100 — 8 15 0
No. 17 ESU 312 001 61X — 14 12 1
W — Waggoner. L — Fischer.
E — ESU: Marasco. DP — ESU 2. LOB — FHSU 9, ESU 15. 2B — FHSU: Washburn, Levanduski, Schippers; ESU: Majors, Marasco, Anderson. 3B — FHSU: Becker, Levanduski. HR — FHSU: Washburn, Schippers; ESU: Wempe, Carlson. HBP — FHSU: Biggs, Burditt; ESU: Wempe, Shortell, Dreiling, Wolfe 2, Williamson, Carlson 2. SH — FHSU: Becker. SF — ESU: Shortell, Anderson. SB — ESU: Wempe, Shortell, Williamson 2. CS — Carlson.
Game Two
ESU 10, Upper Iowa 8
Upper Iowa 000 102 500 — 8 10 1
No. 17 ESU (10)00 000 00X — 10 10 4
W — Timbrook. L — Seabrooke. Sv — Burris.
E — UI: McKeon; ESU: Lane, Dreiling, Carlson, Steinbach. DP — ESU 2. LOB — UI 6, ESU 8. 2B — UI: Esquibel, Wilsing; ESU: Majors, Shortell, Anderson. HBP — ESU: Wempe, Shortell, Dreiling, Williamson 2. SH — UI: Fox. SB — ESU: Shortell. CS — UI: Wilsing.