Photo by Adam Vogler
Emporia State shortstop Andy Anderson throws to first during the first inning of ESU’s 13-8 victory on Friday over Wayne State during the NCAA Division II North Central Regional at the Trusler Sports Complex. ESU advances to play Central Missouri in the semifinal at noon today.
The Emporia State baseball team was born to win long, ugly slugfests. After getting Wayne State into just such a game on Friday afternoon, the Hornets moved on to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Central Regional.
Emporia State got four RBI from nine-hole hitter Andy Anderson, a home run from Keith Hernandez and help from Wayne State’s pitching and defense to augment the Hornets’ usual slew of big hits. Even after seeing Wayne State chop an early eight-run ESU lead to just two runs, the Hornets’ bats had an answer, and Emporia State finished off a 13-8 win at Trusler Sports Complex to move on to a meeting with Central Missouri at noon today.
ESU used a mixture of its trademark mashing and Wayne State’s self-destruction to build a 9-1 advantage after three and a half innings. Then, ESU watched the Wildcats use a similar formula to make it a game again. With five hit batsmen — all by Wayne State — seven combined errors and nine combined walks, it made for a three-hour-plus tournament game that could mess with any coach’s head.
“That’s why I’m bald,” Hornets coach Bob Fornelli said. “It’s tough, because you get up 9-1, and you’re feeling pretty good. Credit to Wayne State, because they just battled.”
Anderson represented the game’s extremes better than anyone — his first hit, a three-run double ripped down the left-field line in the top of the second, came in the middle of three errors he made at shortstop. He then stroked another run-scoring double during the Hornets’ three-run sixth to help put Wayne State back at arm’s length.
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