ESU Wins South Central Regional Opener

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (ESU Media Relations) -- The #6 Emporia State baseball team got its second most hits in a game this season as the Hornets earned a 10-2 victory to open the NCAA Division II South Central Regional. ESU put up 18 hits while the Hornets' pitching allowed only eight to advance to the second round.

The Hornets got on top early as Jacob White, Andy Cotton and Dillon Hazlett led off the game with three straight hits and Joe Vaskas and David Allbritton drove in runs for a 2-0 lead. Southeastern would answer with a single talley in the third and fifth inning to tie the game at 2-2. In the fifth inning ESU got RBI from Hazlette, Kevin Wempe and Allbritton as they took a 5-2 overall advantage. ESU would then score one in the sixth, and two in the seventh and eight inning to insure the first round victory.

At the plate Hazlett, Vaskas and Parker Amos all finished with three hits apiece. Vaskas, Wempe and Allbritton each had two runs batted in. White, Cotton and Hazlett all scored two runs each for the Hornets. Beau Poston, who entered the game as a pinch runner, stole two bases and added a run for the Hornets.

On the mound Derek Brooks pitched 5.1 innings striking out two while allowing only one earned run to move to 8-2 on the season and pick up his third straight win. Brett Kinsel allowed only two hits in 2.2 innings of relief for the Hornets.

ESU, which is now 43-10 on the season, will face the winner of the Central Missouri/Tarleton State game at 7 p.m. on May 20 from San Antonio, Texas.