The Emporia State baseball team used eight strong innings by starter Colby Deaver (9-2) and Grant Huffman’s league-leading seventh save to nip #16 Central Missouri 3-2 in game one of a three game series at the Trusler Sports Complex on Friday night. The game was delayed twice by lightning and Deaver missed the zone with his first five pitches, but then induced a double play to get out of the inning. A two-run homer by Noah Steele put ESU in front in the bottom of the first. The Mules manufactured two runs in the second with four hits and stole home to tie the game. ESU was able to score a run on a ground out in the sixth to take the lead. UCM only managed to get one baserunner on in their final three trips to the plate. Head coach John Martin called it a great baseball game.
Steele said the team’s goal was to play with confidence.
ESU (29-12, 16-11 MIAA) goes for a series win Saturday with first pitch at 2:00 p.m. on Mix 104.9.
Edit: An earlier version of this story said the Mules scored four runs in the second. They only scored two.
