EMPORIA, Kan. – Griffon baseball (32-22) fell to Central Oklahoma (34-20-1) 5-2 in an elimination game at the NCAA central regional.  Missouri Western finishes the season winning 17 of the final 23 games and qualified for back-to-back NCAA tournaments for the first time in program history.
 
NOTABLES

• Central Oklahoma took advantage of an early error but Missouri Western's defense would limit the threat to just one run in the top of the third inning
• Alex Heuring tied the game at 1-1 as he scored on a Nick Gawley single to center field in the bottom of the third inning
• A sacrifice fly from Andrew Curry allowed David Glaude to put the Griffons up 2-1 in the sixth inning
• Nate Hunter retired 16 straight batters from the top of the 3^rd inning to the top of 8^th inning for Missouri Western
• Logan Marston led off the bottom of the eighth inning but MWSU would strand him at third base in the bottom of the eighth inning
• Three consecutive hits with two outs in the top of the ninth inning gave the Bronchos the lead 5-2

 
TOP PERFORMERS

• Nate Hunter tossed 8 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and allowed only one walk
• Nick Gawley was 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI
• Central Oklahoma's Kyle Miskovsky went 3-for-4 with two runs scored
• J.D. Cameron threw 7 1/3 innings for the Bronchos allowing two runs with five strikeouts