ST. JOSEPH – A big seventh inning turned a back-and-forth game into a runaway win Tuesday night for Griffon Baseball (22-17) over Emporia State (21-18). Missouri Western torched the Hornets for six runs in the seventh to take the season series from ESU with an 11-3 game three win.

The series win was big for the Griffons as the two teams entered the night tied in the MIAA standings. Missouri Western (14-12) exited with a one-game lead over Emporia State (13-13) for seventh place in the conference.

A Brooks Day leadoff triple got the seventh inning onslaught going. Levi Schreiner recorded his third RBI of the game with a sac fly to center three batters later. Fahd Shakeel made it an 8-3 game with a two-out, two-run single and Nolan Meyer capped the inning with a two-RBI triple.

NOTABLES

• Missouri Western trailed 3-2 after Emporia State scored two in the top of the third. The Griffs tied the game in the bottom half; added one in both the fifth and the sixth before the big seventh inning.
• Preston Bailey (3-3) got the win in relief of Levi Abrahamson. Bailey allowed just two hits through 5 1/3, striking out two in the process.
• Schreiner was one of five Griffs with two hits on the night. He led the team with his three RBIs
• Casey Danley went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI and extended his hitting streak to 14 games
• Day was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a pair of RBIs
• Dusty Stroup went 2-for-4 with a run scored
• Maurice Bruce also went 2-for-4 with two runs scored

UP NEXT
The Griffons begin eight-straight games on the road with a non-conference tilt at William Jewell on Wednesday. Then it’s on to Central Oklahoma for a three-game series over the weekend. It was announced, Tuesday, that the team’s non-conference game at Rockhurst on April 24 was cancelled.

— MWSU Athletics —