The Emporia State baseball team split two games over the weekend and took the series 2-1 over Central Oklahoma as head coach John Martin made his first return to Edmond, Okla. to face his former team.
The Hornets got back into the win column for a series on Saturday with a 12-3 win. UCO took an early 2-0 lead in the second before ESU went on a 10-1 tear in the fourth through seventh innings. The Hornets scored four in the fourth and four more in the sixth. Frankie Santiago finished 3-for-4 with three runs and five RBI’s on two home runs including a grand slam. Tyler Coffin drove in three on a pair of hits while Cooper Schwindt finished 3-for-5 with three runs. Colby Deaver (6-1) picked up the win allowing nine hits but just three runs in his 6.0 innings of work.
ESU outhit the Bronchos 11-6 on Sunday but fell 10-6 as UCO salvaged game three of the series. ESU scored twice in the first inning on RBI’s from Nathon Cruz and Brady Unrein put the Hornets on top, but UCO used a pair of bunts to score three runs in the second then piled on four more in the third and never trailed again. ESU got within two after scoring three in the sixth on a Frankie Santiago’s 10th home run of the season and third of the series, but the ‘Chos added insurance with runs in their next two at-bats while ESU couldn’t score again. Logan Myers went 4-for-5 for his third four-hit game of the year. Quinton Chindamo (0-3) gave up four hits and seven runs in 2.1 innings to take the loss. ESU (16-6, 7-5 MIAA) will begin the first of their two MIAA midweek series with a game at Missouri Western on Wednesday.
