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Missouri Southern's pitching staff struggled to keep the ball in the yard on Saturday afternoon with the wind blowing straight out. Emporia State belted four two-run home runs to down the Lions 12-7 on their home turf at Warren Turner Field.
"They took advantage of some pitches we made and made us pay," MSSU head coach Bryce Darnell said.
Right after Nate Mieszkowski gave the Lions a 1-0 lead with his no-doubt solo home run into left-center field in the bottom of the second, Kyle Moore surrendered two big flies in the top of the third.
With two outs in the inning, Moore allowed a single to the Hornets' No. 3 hitter in the lineup, TJ Racherbaumer. Noah Steele then got under an inside pitch and lofted it deep down the line in left field for a two-run blast to make it 2-1.
Cooper Schwindt kept it going against MSSU's right-handed starter as he singled to bring up Dominic Felix, who took his turn with a home run to score two and make it 4-1.
Moore got out of the inning with a strikeout of Konner Hatfield.
In the top of the fifth, Moore plunked the 6-foot-7 power hitter, Steele, with a fastball up and inside that hit his left arm. Schwindt made Moore pay by taking him deep for a third two-run shot of the game, making the score 6-1.
Cy Darnell led off the home half of the inning with a single to go 2 for 2 in his first two plate appearances of the day. With one out, Drew Townsend sent a fastball over the fence and off the scoreboard in right field to bring the Lions two runs closer at 6-3.
Coach Darnell went to his bullpen in the sixth as he called on Owen Schneider to try and keep the three-run difference where it was.
The Hornets began the inning with a single and the next batter reached on an error by Jake Leeker at second base. A sacrifice bunt then moved both runners up to second and third.
But Schneider honed in and got a strikeout of Racherbaumer. The Lions chose to intentionally walk Steele to face Schwindt. Both batters had already homered in the game.
But, it paid off as the lefty blew a fastball past the left-handed hitting Schwindt and stepped off the mound screaming in celebration.
MSSU threatened in the sixth as well with back-to-back two-out singles from Treghan Parker and Mieszkowski to force ESU's head coach Brad Hill to pull his starter, a sophomore right-hander, Seth Stover, and bring in Ryan Sauter.
Sauter got Darnell to sky one to second base and end the threat.
With one out and the bases loaded, Schneider made a pitch to again get himself out of a jam as ESU's Logan Myers grounded a ball softly up the middle.
Darnell ranged over to make the play from his shortstop position but couldn't corral it as it glanced off his glove and scooted into centerfield. A clean play led to an inning-ending double play. Instead, two runs scored and later in the inning a third came across the plate to make it 9-3.
"Those errors absolutely make a difference. We've not shown an ability all year to pitch consistently or play good defense and it has hurt us. Those errors are a difference in the game," Darnell said.
MSSU got a pair in the seventh as Townsend tripled to right-center field scoring Chayton Beck. Brayden Luikart followed that with a single to score Townsend and make it 9-5.
The fourth and final two-run home run from Emporia State came in the seventh inning off of the bat of Brady Unrein on a pitch from Lane Chapman to make it 11-5. The Hornets got a sacrifice fly from Steele in the eighth to make it 12-5.
"It's the combination of not making those plays and maybe not allowing one or two more of those home runs and that ninth inning looks different," Darnell said.
It wasn't enough, but the Lions added a pair in the ninth off of reliever Ian Lanik.
Moore got the loss after five innings, nine hits and six runs allowed. He struck out seven batters, only walked and hit one. Schneider (1 1/3), Chapman (1 2/3) and Cole White (1) grinded through an inning or so of relief each to keep the score close.
ESU's Stover picked up the win with 5 2/3 innings of work, eight hits allowed and three runs. The Lions were making consistent contact off him with only two strikeouts.
Southern outhit Emporia with 15 to the visitors' 14. Townsend led the way going 4 for 5 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Luikart, Clark, Mieszkowski and Darnell added two hits each. The Hornets got two hits from Myers, Schwindt, Felix and Unrein.
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"They took advantage of some pitches we made and made us pay," MSSU head coach Bryce Darnell said.
Right after Nate Mieszkowski gave the Lions a 1-0 lead with his no-doubt solo home run into left-center field in the bottom of the second, Kyle Moore surrendered two big flies in the top of the third.
With two outs in the inning, Moore allowed a single to the Hornets' No. 3 hitter in the lineup, TJ Racherbaumer. Noah Steele then got under an inside pitch and lofted it deep down the line in left field for a two-run blast to make it 2-1.
Cooper Schwindt kept it going against MSSU's right-handed starter as he singled to bring up Dominic Felix, who took his turn with a home run to score two and make it 4-1.
Moore got out of the inning with a strikeout of Konner Hatfield.
In the top of the fifth, Moore plunked the 6-foot-7 power hitter, Steele, with a fastball up and inside that hit his left arm. Schwindt made Moore pay by taking him deep for a third two-run shot of the game, making the score 6-1.
Cy Darnell led off the home half of the inning with a single to go 2 for 2 in his first two plate appearances of the day. With one out, Drew Townsend sent a fastball over the fence and off the scoreboard in right field to bring the Lions two runs closer at 6-3.
Coach Darnell went to his bullpen in the sixth as he called on Owen Schneider to try and keep the three-run difference where it was.
The Hornets began the inning with a single and the next batter reached on an error by Jake Leeker at second base. A sacrifice bunt then moved both runners up to second and third.
But Schneider honed in and got a strikeout of Racherbaumer. The Lions chose to intentionally walk Steele to face Schwindt. Both batters had already homered in the game.
But, it paid off as the lefty blew a fastball past the left-handed hitting Schwindt and stepped off the mound screaming in celebration.
MSSU threatened in the sixth as well with back-to-back two-out singles from Treghan Parker and Mieszkowski to force ESU's head coach Brad Hill to pull his starter, a sophomore right-hander, Seth Stover, and bring in Ryan Sauter.
Sauter got Darnell to sky one to second base and end the threat.
With one out and the bases loaded, Schneider made a pitch to again get himself out of a jam as ESU's Logan Myers grounded a ball softly up the middle.
Darnell ranged over to make the play from his shortstop position but couldn't corral it as it glanced off his glove and scooted into centerfield. A clean play led to an inning-ending double play. Instead, two runs scored and later in the inning a third came across the plate to make it 9-3.
"Those errors absolutely make a difference. We've not shown an ability all year to pitch consistently or play good defense and it has hurt us. Those errors are a difference in the game," Darnell said.
MSSU got a pair in the seventh as Townsend tripled to right-center field scoring Chayton Beck. Brayden Luikart followed that with a single to score Townsend and make it 9-5.
The fourth and final two-run home run from Emporia State came in the seventh inning off of the bat of Brady Unrein on a pitch from Lane Chapman to make it 11-5. The Hornets got a sacrifice fly from Steele in the eighth to make it 12-5.
"It's the combination of not making those plays and maybe not allowing one or two more of those home runs and that ninth inning looks different," Darnell said.
It wasn't enough, but the Lions added a pair in the ninth off of reliever Ian Lanik.
Moore got the loss after five innings, nine hits and six runs allowed. He struck out seven batters, only walked and hit one. Schneider (1 1/3), Chapman (1 2/3) and Cole White (1) grinded through an inning or so of relief each to keep the score close.
ESU's Stover picked up the win with 5 2/3 innings of work, eight hits allowed and three runs. The Lions were making consistent contact off him with only two strikeouts.
Southern outhit Emporia with 15 to the visitors' 14. Townsend led the way going 4 for 5 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Luikart, Clark, Mieszkowski and Darnell added two hits each. The Hornets got two hits from Myers, Schwindt, Felix and Unrein.
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