Emporia State baseball fell against the University of Central Oklahoma in a three-game series at home March 1 to March 3.
ESU began the series with a 10-0 loss in the opening game. The Hornets struggled offensively and only managed six hits in the seven innings against the Bronchos Saturday afternoon at the Trusler Sports Complex.
UCO started off with two runs in their first at-bat. They went on to use three singles and a squeeze bunt to double their runs 4-0.
The Hornets were able to get two runners on base during the first. Drawing a walk was junior outfielder Cooper Schwindt, and gaining an infield single was junior third baseman Dominic Felix. ESU still fell behind the Bronchos 0-4 at the end of the inning.
ESU helped the Bronchos increase their lead after making fielding errors and allowing another run for UCO. Central Oklahoma continued to advance their lead through the sixth inning. They added three runs in the fourth and one in both the fifth and sixth, increasing their lead 10-0.
ESU rallied in the seventh and had senior infielder Peyton Lewis on third base but were unable to push him home, allowing the Bronchos to win the first game of the series 10-0.
On Sunday, the Hornets fell again 7-2 in their second game against the Bronchos. Sophomore pitcher Seth Stover retired the Bronchos to start the game off for the Hornets. ESU achieved their first run as Lewis made a homerun for the second time this season and gave the Hornets the first on the board 1-0.
Stover continued the lead for ESU as he kept UCO out of the hit column up until the top of the fifth. The Bronchos rallied in the seventh inning and made six runs with help from a grand slam to give themselves a major 6-1 lead.
Neither team managed to score in the eighth, but the Bronchos would increase their lead 7-1 in the ninth. With one out in the bottom of the inning and bases loaded, ESU managed only one run off of a hit by junior outfielder Spencer Alexander. UCO got the final out on the Hornets and took the game 7-2.
The Hornets were unable to rally back from their two losses against the Bronchos in their final game of the series. They fell 11-3 against the Bronchos on Monday to drop the series finale.
In the top of the first, senior pitcher Cade Barton retired the first three batters for the Bronchos. In the bottom half, junior infielder Logan Myers scored a homerun for the Hornets off of a 1-2 pitch, bringing ESU to lead 1-0.
Barton continued to keep UCO scoreless in the first three frames, but the Bronchos later tied ESU off of a homerun. In the top of the fifth, a second home run put the Bronchos up 2-1 surpassing the Hornets. ESU responded in the bottom half with two runs in the bottom half to bring themselves up 3-2.
The Hornets allowed Central Oklahoma to rally again and score eight over the next three innings, ending with an 11-3 lead for the Bronchos. ESU failed to score any more runs in the final four innings, resulting in an 11-3 loss of the finale at home.
ESU Baseball will travel to St. Louis, Mo. and face Hillsdale College at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 7.
