SCSU Baseball Battles Into Extra Innings Before Falling 6-4 to Emporia State To End Season At NCAA Division II Central Regional

Saturday, May 21

St. Cloud, Minn.

3:00 p.m.

St. Cloud State

43-10

Emporia State University

39-17

Emporia State

St. Cloud State

Brandon Arnold

SCSU Baseball Battles Into Extra Innings Before Falling 6-4 to Emporia State To End Season At NCAA Division II Central Regional

5/21/2016 7:28:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The St. Cloud State baseball team (43-10) took a tough 6-4 loss at the hands of Emporia State (39-18) in 12 innings to see its season ended at the NCAA Division II Central Regional at Joe Faber Field on Saturday, May 21. Emporia State will advance to take on Arkansas-Monticello in another elimination game on Sunday, May 22, at noon.

Emporia State's Tucker Perkins' two-run home run in the 12th inning proved to be the difference in the game. Levi Ashmore began the frame with a single through the left side and scored on Perkins' third home run of the season. Perkins was the hitting star for the Hornets in putting up four hits, three runs scored and three RBIs.

Sophomore Sheldon Miks (8-3) took the loss in allowed three runs in seven relief innings with four walks and four strikeouts. Jordan Plank (8-3) earned the victory for ESU with six scoreless relief innings with four walks and five strikeouts.

The Hornets scored first in the game with a run in the first inning with Perkins recording a single, moving all the way to third on a single and scoring a pass ball.

ESU added a tally to the lead in the second inning on Dalton Wheat's RBI single to score Wade Hanna.

The Huskies cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second on senior Zak Hoffman's 14th home run of the season.

The Hornets got a run back in the fourth inning on Derek Francis' RBI ground out to score Perkins.

The Huskies tied the game up at three all with a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Freshman Judd Davis reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on senior Brandon Arnold's single. Senior Kyle Lieser followed with a single to load the bases. Senior Reese Gregory then roped a single through the left side to score Davis. Senior Zach Hoffman produced a deep sacrifice fly to left to score Arnold with the third run of the game.

SCSU manufactured a run with a little help from the Hornets in the bottom of the seventh inning. Arnold started the frame with a double, moved to third and then home on the sacrifice bunt by Lieser that was thrown away by the ESU third baseman.

The Hornets used some timely hitting to tie the game at four in the top of the eighth on Perkins' two-out RBI single to plate Jonny Hodges from second base. Hodges began the frame with a walk and moved to second on the intentional walk to Wheat.

In both the ninth and the 10th inning, two throws from Brandon Arnold in center field eliminated charging Emporia State runners at the plate after a pair of two-out singles to keep the game knotted at four.

The game was the final one in the careers for SCSU seniors Brandon Arnold, Kyle Lieser, Reese Gregory, Zach Hoffmann, Karl Sorensen, Zak Hoffman, Logan Spitzack, Ryan Diers and Alex Naasz.