ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Six Griffon Baseball errors combined with four-straight innings with Emporia State scores sealed a series win for the Hornets in game two on Saturday at the Spring Sports Complex. 

Emporia State came away with the 6-3 victory despite Missouri Western pitcher Jacob Weirich's 12-strikeout day. Weirich (1-4) went seven innings for MWSU (11-30, 7-22 MIAA), giving up only three earned runs despite his defense committing all six errors while he was on the mound. The Hornets (20-25, 12-17 MIAA) scored at least one run in the first four innings to build a 5-1 lead before the Griffons made the game interesting in the bottom of the fourth.

Shortstop Ryan Neise notched an RBI sacrifice fly to center field to score Jared Munk to bring MWSU within three. Will Courtney collected an RBI base hit that scored Hunter Rumachik and trimmed ESU's lead to 5-3. However, the Hornets added an insurance run in the seventh with a sac-fly RBI to right field by Blake Carroll. 

Missouri Western went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth and left nine runners on base in the game. Meanwhile, ESU left seven runners on base, but all but two of its batters found at least one hit on the day. The Hornets tallied 10 hits while the Griffons found 11 of their own.

NOTABLES

Brady Holden: 2-for-4, 1 BB, 1 R
Will Courtney: 2-for-5, 1 RBI
Jared Munk: 2-for-4, 1 R

NEXT UP 

Sunday's noon start vs. Emporia is the last home game for MWSU, and it will be the last time its six seniors step foot to play on Griffon Baseball Field at the Spring Sports Complex. Tomorrow's following seniors will be celebrated for their time as Griffons at 
Missouri Western: Trey Asher; Alex Crouch; Brady Holden; Alec McGehee; Brian Tan; and Chaz Verduzco.