EMPORIA, Kan. – In a milestone day for coach Buzz Verduzco, the Missouri Western baseball team swept a doubleheader against No. 4 Emporia State, to take the series, 3-1.
Verduzco claimed his 300th MIAA victory in game one. Missouri Western leaves Emporia with a 6-5 record after handing the preseason MIAA favorite their first three losses of the season.
Game 1: MWSU 5, Emporia State 1
Buzz Verduzco earned his 300th MIAA win as Griffon Baseball defeated No. 4 Emporia State for the second straight game, 5-1. For Verduzco, it improved his all-time MIAA record to 300-220, 439-332 overall.
The Griffons opened the game up in the third when Cosimo Cannella and David Glaude hit back-to-back solo home runs to put the team up 4-1. Emporia State jumped out to a 1-0 lead but the Griffons answered in the bottom of the first on Cannella’s sacrifice fly that scored Ryan Degner. MWSU tacked on another in the second on an RBI single from Orencio Fisher and added on more in the sixth on another single from Fisher.
Fisher finished 3-3 with two RBIs. Degner went 2-3 with two runs scored and Trevor LaHonta also went 2-3 with one run scored. A.J. Martinez picked up the win, going five and a third, allowing six hits, one run and striking out three.
Game 2: MWSU 5, Emporia State 3
Emporia State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first that became a 2-2 tie after one for the Griffons. Ryan Degner led off the inning with a triple and scored after Fisher reached on an error. Fisher scored to tie it after another Hornet error allowed him to come home.
MWSU made it a 3-2 lead after four on an RBI single from Trevor LaHonta. The Griffons made Emporia State pay for another error in the fifth when David Glaude scored on a throwing error to put Missouri Western up 4-2. The Hornets added one in the eighth that was answered by the Griffons in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single from Degner.
Banks Born picked up the win, pitching the first three and a third. Richard Peoples picked up the save, going the final inning and a third. LaHonta went 2-3 with two RBIs in the game.
— MWSU Sports Information —