Baseball | 4/12/2013 3:58:00 PM
RES FIRMA MITESCERE NESCIT
The Hornets have won eight in a row to move into third place in the MIAA as they play host to Northwest Missouri at the Trusler Sports Complex.
THE COACHES
Bob Fornelli is 398-167 in his tenth season at Emporia State and is 704-280 overall in his 17th year overall. He is the fourth winningest active coach in Division II and is 19th in total victories. He has led Emporia State to two Division II World Series appearances in eight NCAA Tournaments. Fornelli has taken teams to the NCAA Tournament 11 times, and was the national runner-up in 2009 with Emporia State and in 2000 while at Ft. Hays State.
Darin Loe is 356-368 in his 14th season at Northwest Missouri and 512-502 in his 20th season as a head coach.
LAST AT-BAT
In a battle of the two hottest teams in the MIAA, Emporia State swept Missouri Southern to move into third place in the league standings. The Hornets won game one 5-4 and took the second game 7-4 at the Trusler Sports Complex. Todd Reller delivered a walk off bloop single in the bottom of the eighth for the win in the matinee. Eric Dawson was two for four with two RBI and a double while Blake Sturgeon went two for three with two runs and two doubles in the night cap..
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State has won eight straight and 17 of the last 20 games to surge into third place in the MIAA. The Hornets are hitting .311 as a team over the last 20 games and have outscored their opponents by a 2-1 margin with 150 runs scored and 75 allowed. Eight pitchers have picked up wins over the last 20 games.
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Northwest Missouri is 12-23 overall and 10-20 in the MIAA entering play against William Jewell on Friday. They have won three of their last four games, scoring at least nine runs in all four games. Ryan Abernathy is batting .295 with ten doubles, two homers, 19 RBI and a team best 35 runs scored.
THE SERIES
The first game will be the 80th meeting between the two teams with ESU holding a 48-31 overall advantage. The Hornets have won 18 of the last 20 meetings between the two teams.
LAST TIME VS. NORTHWEST MO.
Then #16 Emporia State split day two of the series with Northwest Missouri in Emporia. The Hornets won game one 16-3 before dropping the second game by a score of 10-6.
Northwest Missouri scored the first run of game one in the first inning. Emporia State answered by batting around in the first and second inning combining for 13 runs between the two frames and did not look back.
Game two started as a pitchers duel with no score through the first four innings. The Bearcats broke the tie in the fifth inning with three runs. The Hornets responded capitalizing on two NWMSU errors in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to 3-2. Northwest would answer with two runs in the top of the sixth while ESU grabbed two more in the bottom half of the inning to stay within one run. The Bearcats would put the game away for good with three runs in the top of the seventh.
ON DECK
Emporia State travels to Pittsburg State on Wednesday, April 17. First pitch of the double header at Al Ortolani Field is set for 3:00 p.m.
