Emporia State senior first baseman Noah Steele launched a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth and the Hornets beat #16 Central Missouri 6-4 on Sunday at the Trusler Sports Complex in Emporia. The Hornets took the series 2-1 ending a streak of seven-straight series losses to the Mules. It was the first series win for E-State since beating UCM 2-1 in a series in Emporia in 2017. Quinton Chindamo pitched four perfect innings to start the game as ESU scored the game’s first run on a double play in the second inning. UCM broke through with three runs in the fifth to take the lead and they tacked on with a two-out run in the sixth. ESU got back into the game with a two-run homer by Dominic Felix in the fifth before a two-out Brady Unrein RBI tied the game at four in the seventh. Steele then picked up his only hit of the game drilling his team-leading 14th home run of the year to left center field. He said he was sitting fastball.
Head coach John Martin said he had challenged his senior slugger earlier in the game and he responded.
Grant Huffman (2-0) pitched the bottom of the ninth and picked up the win. ESU (30-13, 17-12 MIAA) returns home to host Fort Hays State on Tuesday for game three of their final MIAA midweek series of the season. The series is tied one-all. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. at the Trusler Sports Complex
