Emporia State baseball came up short Friday night in Topeka, falling 5-4 to Washburn in the opening game of the Turnpike Tussle series.
The Hornets struck first in the second inning, working three walks before Cooper Schwindt lined a two-run single to give Emporia State an early 2-0 lead. Washburn answered in the fourth, trimming the margin to one, but the Hornets kept pushing. Noah Steele led off the fifth with a double and later scored on a heads-up double steal to make it 3-1.
After Washburn cut it to 3-2, Emporia State added another in the sixth. Schwindt doubled again and came home on a Logan Myers groundout, extending the lead to 4-2. Hornet starter Colby Deaver worked into the sixth and limited the damage, allowing just one earned run.
But the momentum shifted in the seventh, when Washburn strung together four hits and plated three runs to take their first lead of the night at 5-4. Emporia State couldn’t respond late, managing just one hit over the final two innings.
Schwindt finished with two hits and two RBI and Nick Woodcock suffered the loss in relief.
ESU moves to 31-14 (18-13) will look to even the series Saturday afternoon with first pitch set for 2 p.m.
