Sophomore outside hitter Paige Vanderpool spikes the ball Wednesday night at White Auditorium. Emporia State won their game against Rockhurst. Jon Coffey/The Bulletin

The Hornets volleyball team won their first game of the season last night in White Auditorium against the Rockhurst University Hawks.

“With this being the first official home game, I know the girls had some nerves,” said head coach Bing Xu.

Competing for the first time at home this season, the Hornets came out fired up against the Hawks.

The Hornets and Hawks went back and forth with scoring points in the first set. Xu called the first timeout when ESU was down 11-14. Outside hitter Maggie McGovern attacked hard, putting up some big hits for the Hawks, forcing Xu to call the Hornets second timeout when the score was 16-21.

With the Hornets fighting back hard, Hawks head coach Tracy Rietzke was forced to take two consecutive timeouts when the score was 21-24 and 22-24. The Hawks earned the last point, ending the set with a score of 22-25 over the Hornets.

Starting the second set, the Hornets scored the first point, showing they were ready for revenge. Sophomore Morgan Buckner came out strong attacking with some big hits and blocks. Assisting Buckner was freshman Carly Spicer who went to the nets strong, killing the ball multiple times.

The Hawks took a timeout, being down 22-13 to try to make a run on the Hornets. With a total of five team blocks, the Hornets shut down the Hawks hitting to take the second set 25-15.

The third set started off a little shaky for the Hornets, as they got down early. With Hornets outside hitter sophomore Paige Vanderpool stepping up and showing some big hits, the Hornets stayed on top to take the third set 25-18.

“Paige stepped up but everyone must contribute,” Xu said.

Getting a career high in kills and digs, Vanderpool got the first spike in the fourth set to help the Hornets get on top. The Hornets stayed up as Vanderpool continued her streak of kills, frustrating the Hawks defense.  

Coming back, the Hawks tied the score at 22-22, forcing Xu to call a timeout. Losing momentum, the Hornets lost this set 24-26 making the score 2-2.

“The players cannot doubt themselves,” Xu said, “if they make mistakes they must be aggressive ones. “

Coming out strong in the fifth match, the Hornets were up 8-3. Staying focused, the Hornets pulled out the win over the Hawks 15-6.

“I feel like the girls showed character in the fifth set and stepped up to the task,” Xu said.

Not only did Vanderpool have a career high in kills and digs, but 26 marks the most kills in rally scoring in ESU volleyball history.

“It really starts with the pass,” Vanderpool said. “If the pass is good and the set is good that is what opens up the middle for me. It takes all the players. It comes with the team and I could not have done it without them.”

The Lady Hornets are preparing for their next games in the UCM Tournament on September 10th in Warrensburg, Mo.

Chelsie Slaughter

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Senior Robert Moores shoots a three point shot over Ottawa’s Kyle Schreiner Tuesday night at White Auditorium. ESU won 85-66. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

The Emporia State Hornets men’s basketball team played the Braves of Ottawa Tuesday in what would be the home opener for the Hornets. After a sluggish start, the Hornets were able to pull away for an 85-66 win.

“We started out the game just playing basketball,” said Head Coach David Moe. “Ottawa did a great job making shots, and then we had to get tougher defensively and make it tougher for them to get shots, and I thought that happened.”

Although the Hornets were able to bolt out to a fast 7-0 lead in the first half, neither team was able to gain ground by halftime.

With less than three minutes left, the Braves took a six point lead after back to back threes. The Hornets, however, answered back with an 8-2 run, ending the half on a Robert Moores’s three with just eight seconds remaining.

“Coach Moe was telling us defensively we need to intensify our aggressiveness,” Moores said. “One thing we’re lacking is our aggressiveness on defense. As the game went we progressed and actually jumped out to a good lead.”

In the second half, it was the Braves who shot out of the gate with a 47-41 lead. The Hornet’s ability to get to the line again paid off however as they retook the lead 55-52 with 14:56 left in the game.

What may have been a momentum shifting play in the game came on a steal by Xavier Burnette in the open court that led to a one handed slam giving the Hornets a 60 to 56 lead with 12:07 left in the game.

“I try to get that done every game,” Burnette said. “It gives us energy. It gives me energy to play hard on the defensive end. I just want to do what I can to bring the team energy.”

The Hornets would mount a big lead after the play as they went on to win the game 85-66. For Emporia State, their ability to get to the free throw line highlighted the game as they shot a total of 32 free throws.

“We do a good job of getting to the line for the most part,” Moe said. “Tonight we did a better job of attacking, getting to the rim and attacking the paint and looking inside out.”

For the game, Burnette led all scorers with 20 points. Adam Holthaus, Moores, and Christian Jackson were able to tap into double figures as well for the Hornets.

The Hornets improve to 1-2 on the season and will face Bethany in their next home contest at 7 p.m. on Nov. 22.

Brandon Schneeberger

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Senior guard Sophia Lenard shoots over a FHSU defender Thursday night during the first round of the MIAA Tournament. The Hornets beat the Tigers 72-66.

After a rough start, the Emporia State women’s basketball team was able to pull together and defeat Ft. Hays State 72-66 in the first round of MIAA Tournament action.

A trio of three-pointers late in the game from senior guard Jamie Augustyn led the Hornets to come back from a large deficit.

“I just did what I do,” Augustyn said. “My teammates did a really good job of finding me open, so I just shot it.”

Freshman guard Jocelyn Cummings was the first to score for the Hornets on a slashing move to the basket. With just over 17:30 to play in the first half, the Hornets found themselves down 3-7 thanks to a pivotal Ft. Hays three-pointer.

The first media timeout of the half stopped the action at the 15:56 mark with ESU trailing the Tigers 5-7. Following the timeout, the Tigers went on a 4-0 run until senior guard Sophia Lenard made a basket in the paint.

Another media timeout saw the Hornets still trailing Ft. Hays State, 9-15, with 11:20 remaining in the half.

ESU Coach Brandon Schneider was forced to call a timeout when the Tigers’ lead extended to 11 with 8:09 left in the half.

Senior guard Lacy Corker made a three-pointer following the timeout, cutting Ft. Hays State’s lead to eight, 12-20. Two straight treys from Ft. Hays’ Naomi Bancroft put the Hornets behind by 14 with just over six minutes to play in the half. The final timeout on the floor of the half saw the Tigers with a 29-17 lead over Emporia State with 3:27 remaining.

Senior guard Lacy Corker puts up a 3 point shot Thursday night in Kansas City.

A well executed offensive play by the Hornets saw Cummings take it to the rim and score, cutting the lead to 10. A pair of free throws from Lenard and a slashing basket by Boston saw the Hornets pull within six of Ft. Hays’ lead, 23-29, with just over a minute to play in the opening period.

A three-pointer from the Tigers gave them a nine point cushion going into halftime with a 32-23 lead over ESU.

Schneider said that Hays’ effort in the first half proved to be formidable.

“In the first half, Hays was really good,” Schneider said. “I really felt like the difference between the two halves (was) Hays’ seniors played like they wanted to play another game. They out-competed our seniors.”

Boston led the Hornets in their comeback effort with seven early second half points. A timeout on the floor stopped the action at the 11:33 mark with the Hornets trailing the Tigers 38-47.

Augustyn sparked the comeback by the Hornets, who cut the Tigers lead to four at 43-47 with just under 10 minutes to play. Junior forward Alli Volkens followed up Augustyn’s basket with one of her own on the low block, setting the score to 47-45 in favor of FHSU. Another three-pointer from Augustyn that led the Hornets to within one of the Tigers’ lead, 48-49, led to a timeout by Ft. Hays Coach Tony Hobson.

Senior guard Cassondra Boston attacks the FHSU defense Thursday night in the first round of the MIAA Tournament.

Following the timeout, ESU finally took the lead thanks to yet another Augustyn three-pointer. The Hornets went on a 7-2 run after the timeout by Ft. Hays, bringing the score to 55-51 in favor of Emporia State with just over five minutes remaining in the contest.

Boston said that it was at this point the seniors realized it was time to step up.

“We knew we had to pick it up right then and there,” Boston said. “I just kept stressing that every possession mattered. We couldn’t take any possessions off.”

Ft. Hays went on a small run of their own to tie the game up at 55 with 4:08 left to play.

The final media timeout saw ESU leading FHSU 58-57 at the 3:37 mark.

A myriad of lead changes occurred in the final few minutes of the game until a hard earned basket on the low block by Volkens stretched the Hornets’ lead to three, 66-63, with 1:04 remaining in the half.

Following a FHSU timeout, a trip to the charity stripe for Boston led to two more points, extending their lead to five, 68-63 with under a minute to play.

Boston gave the Hornets four more free throw points as the team left the court with a victory over the Tigers, 72-66.

Boston led all scorers with 23 on 6 of 18 shooting. Augustyn chipped in 11 points, while Volkens and senior guard Lacy Corker added 10 points each.

The Hornets will now face Central Missouri in the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament.  Tip-off is scheduled for 2:15 on March 6 at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

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Shane Wilson

While National Signing Day was abuzz on national television networks around the country, ESU also got a taste of the action, as the Emporia State football team announced their signing day class yesterday, headed by 17 incoming freshman and seven transfer players.

At first glance, the class looks very impressive. Three 2-star recruits according to various recruiting Web sites (ESPN Insider, Scouts, Inc. and Rivals.com) and other notables are making their way to Emporia this fall to continue the Hornets’ rich football tradition. Some of the transfer players are already enrolled in classes at ESU, giving them a step ahead in the playing time battle.

The thing that impressed me the most about this signing class is the amount of players that were brought in who play non-skilled positions. It’s widely known that to build a solid football program, you have to start from the inside out.

You have to start with offensive and defensive linemen.

The big guys in the trenches add an element to a football team few people think about – stability. The offensive and defensive line serve the most unappreciated, overlooked, yet one of the most important roles for a football team, especially a young one. If a team has no one to protect the quarterback or stuff the run up the middle, that team is destined to fail.

Now it goes without saying, you simply can’t just field a team solely with linemen (although I’m sure some of them wouldn’t mind getting a carry or two every now and then). Skill position players are a valuable asset as well. I’d like to see a team try and field an extra-point team without a competent kicker…and you would have seen one this past season if you had watched an ESU football game.

But don’t fret – a kicker happens to be on this year’s signing list.

Quite a few of the incoming skill players are transfers from other institutions. This is great news for the Hornets faithful, as experience in these areas especially is always important. Experience is one thing this Emporia State team hasn’t had enough of recently, and an influx of talented, experienced players could turn this team into a well-led unit of football players.

Whether or not this class will produce on the field remains to be seen. However, each individual’s personal accomplishments on and off the field, on paper at least, have led them to the Emporia State football program. The Hornets’ coaching staff placed enough trust in these players to allow them to compete for a prominent role in their program, a role that can feasibly make or break this program and Higgins’ legacy at ESU.

We’ll have to wait until the fall to find out.

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Senior guard Tim Niles shoots over a Truman defender Monday night at White Auditorium. The Hornets beat the Bulldogs 95-84. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

The Emporia State men’s basketball team returned to White Auditorium after the holiday break to defeat the Truman Bulldogs, 92-84.

The Hornets led Truman throughout the first half – a half that was highlighted by two technical fouls committed by Truman coach Jack Schrader, the ejection of Schrader from the facility due to said fouls and an 80-foot first half buzzer beater by freshman guard Taylor Euler.

“It (the buzzer beater) felt great,” Euler said. “The crowd went crazy. I didn’t know how much time was on the clock. I just caught it, took two dribbl

es and just threw it as far as I could. Luckily enough it went in.”

Technical fouls can sometimes be a distraction for a team. Not for the Hornets, in this case. Euler said that the fouls made the game more fun for him and his teammates.

“The crowd reacts to it, and this is such as great auditorium, when it starts getting loud it’s a great atmosphere,” Euler said. “I definitely think it helped us pick up our energy towards the end of the half.”

Senior guard Lamar Wilbern faces of against a Truman guard Monday at White Auditorium. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

Junior forward Adam Holthaus said he tries not to get too caught up in the technical foul mess.

“It’s just part of the game,” Holthaus said. “We have to just go out there and push it away and just keep playing the way we were playing.”

The first half ended with the Hornets going on a 13-2 run while leading the Bulldogs, 48-27.

Truman would not back down from a potential defeat, coming back in the second half by trimming ESU’s lead to single digits several times in their comeback attempt.

“When you get a big lead like that, you tend to back off a little bit…we started getting lazy in the second half and they started hitting shots,” Euler said.

Junior forward Adam Holthaus drives the basket Monday night at White Auditorium. Kellen Jenkins/ The Bulletin

Holthaus attributed the team’s rotational defense to the near-collapse.

“It was our entire team defense is what it was,” Holthaus said. “They were setting a lot of screens and getting people open, and we weren’t there to help. The pressure wasn’t all there. It’s kind of one of those things where we just let down a little bit. We just have to stay aggressive.”

The Hornets, however, would hold on to the lead.

Four Hornets were in double figures, led by senior guard Tim Niles with 23. Holthaus, Euler and senior guard Lamar Wilbern, who made his first appearance for the Hornets in four games due to a knee injury, each added 19, 18 and 13 points, respectively.

Wilbern was impressed with the bench play of Euler and the solid contributions of Holthaus.

“We’re a team. Everyone has to bring their A-game,” Wilbern said. “Those guys (Euler,

Junior guard Jordan Stout puts in an easy layup Monday night at White Auditorium.

Holthaus) get overlooked, but they play great. They consistently play good, and that’s what they needed to do. They stepped up to the challenge and they came out tonight and played a good game as well.”

For Euler, bringing something valuable to the team was his mission.

“I just wanted to come in and bring a lot of energy to the team and give them a spark because you know the other team’s starting five is going to get tired, and they’re going to start playing lazy,” Euler said. “When I get in there I’m full speed go, trying to bring a lot of energy and get some easy buckets.”

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Setter Ting Liu, with teammate middle hitter, Brianne Boner, jump to block a spike by a Washburn opponent earlier this season at White Auditorum. Kellen JenKins/The Bulletin.

Junior setter and business major Ting Liu isn’t hard to miss on the volleyball court. Standing at 6’1,” Liu is the tallest setter in the MIAA.

But that’s not the only reason why Liu is a prominent figure in the league and around the country.

A season ago, Liu was selected First-Team AVCA All-American, First-Team All-South Central Region and First-Team All-MIAA. In her freshman year, Liu was selected the South Central Region Freshman of the Year and the MIAA Freshman of the Year.

Postseason awards have been plentiful for Liu. She both appreciates them and hopes that more are on the way.

“It was a very big honor for me and it made me feel good,” Liu said. “I hope to get more.”

A native of China, Liu attended a different high school than most at the Beijing Fifth Sport School. Her dedication to volleyball brought her to the U.S. to play for Emporia State – something that head coach Bing Xu is grateful for.

“We are really fortunate to have her on the team,” Xu said.

Xu would also go on to talk about how she has adapted to the American style of volleyball.

“I think mentality wise, she’s getting stronger,” Xu said. “In her first couple of years, she was trying to adjust to a different playing style, and now she’s really getting used to it.”

Senior outside hitter and marketing major Arica Shepard knows Liu pretty well – they’ve been playing together since Liu was a freshman just two years ago. Shepard attributes Liu’s success to her stifling defense and quick hand-eye coordination.

“She has quick hands – that’s what we definitely need for our volleyball team,” Shepard said. “That’s what Bing has always stressed on is trying to quicken our defense every year, and she’s just adapted really well in doing that. If you ever watch it, they (Liu’s hands) are fast compared to a lot of setters. Plus, she’s six-foot something, and that’s always helpful when you know you have a little bit of an overpass and she can bring it back.”

Liu has some added responsibilities this year being a captain for the Hornets – a responsibility that Xu felt comfortable placing on her.

“She’s one of our captains right now,” Xu said. “Now she has more responsibility – as a coach, I try to put something more on her shoulders. We know she can carry it.”

Xu went on to mention how important a piece Liu is to the Hornets’ volleyball puzzle.

“She’s kind of like a quarterback – she’s running the offense,” Xu said. “Every ball with probably go through her hands. She knows the game very well – we need someone who knows the game very well and runs the game pretty smoothly. She’s doing very well. Also, she’s very tall up front, which is a huge advantage.”

Thus far, Liu has enjoyed her experience playing volleyball in America. It also helps that Liu’s teammates have helped her acclimate to the American lifestyle.

“I think our team plays very good, and that gives me a very good experience playing volleyball in the U.S.,” Liu said. “All of my teammates are really nice to me.”

Xu echoed the sentiment.

“All of the players trust her, and she trusts everybody,” Xu said.

The volleyball team has been dominant this year, earning a 26-3 record throughout the regular season. Liu’s skills, both mentally and physically, have been an invaluable asset to the team during their run for another MIAA Championship, according to Shepard.

“You don’t see very many setters her height, so if we do have an overpass we can bring that back,” Shepard said. “She’s extremely consistent. There’s not very often that she doesn’t get the ball where she wants it to go.”

Liu believes that accountability is something that has helped the team achieve their current success.

“Our team plays together really smoothly right now,” Liu said. “I think everyone does their own job – that’s why we can play well together.”

Shane Wilson/The Bulletin

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Wide receiver Shjaun Richardson cuts up field Saturday afternoon at Welch Stadium against the Central Missouri Mules. The Mules beat the Hornets with a final score 21-24. KELLEN JENKINS/THE BULLETIN

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Two Hornet fans signal for a touch down after ESU defensive back Shaunquez Powell is called back from running in an interception from the Mule’s five yard line. Powell was called down at the Mule’s seven. KELLEN JENKINS/THE BULLETIN

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With only few seconds left, a missed field goal put an L in the record column for the Emporia State football team. The team fought to the very last second, falling just short 24-21 to #12 Central Missouri State. However, the loss put some hope in ESU fans.

“The game gave me hope that they’re going to play hard no matter what and give the fans something to be happy about,” said Robert Keisler, sophomore geology major.

The Hornets travel to Missouri Southern State this Saturday to play a team they lost to by a single point straight point last season. The Hornets feel like they have something to prove and are looking to use this game to catapult them back into the running for a conference championship.

Blake Ringwall, senior business major and linebacker, hopes to help steer the team back in the right direction.

“We’d like to get back on track,” Ringwall said. “We lost to this team by one point last year, and we’d like to come out with the W. We came so close last year, so we’re going to fight hard to get the win on Saturday…We just want to get the win, it doesn’t matter how we get as long as we get it.”

The Hornets haven’t beat Missouri Southern State since 2005 but look to end that streak Saturday in Joplin, Mo. In addition, the two teams generally play a very tight game – the last three of four games have been decided by one point.

Head Coach Garrin Higgins is very confident in his team’s ability to win this football game.

“We’re a good football team,” Higgins said. “We just played with the 13^th ranked team in the country. Our mindset is pretty good going into this week.”

Higgins also understands that there is always room for improvement. The team had 15 penalties for a total of 103 yards in Saturday’s game against CMSU.

“We need to eliminate some of the little mistakes that we’ve made in both our losses,” Higgins said. “For example, jumping off sides and little things like that need to be cleaned up.”

With the game on the line against Central Missouri, the Hornets’ kicker, Will Maxwell, sophomore biology major, missed a 30-yard field goal, leaving two seconds on the clock. The Hornets’ coaching staff still has faith in the young kicker and is looking forward to him making up for the poor game.

Higgins believes that the game could have been different without Maxwell.

“We still have confidence in him and believe in him,” Higgins said. “We know that the next time he gets an opportunity, he’ll make the best of it. I think there were some opportunities for big plays. There are a lot of things that play into a game – like we ran 84 plays on offense and in those 84 plays there were some mistakes made.”

Austin Wagoner/The Bulletin

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The football team kicks off the season tonight against Southwestern Oklahoma State University. The excitement is in the air and the questions are on the table. With an impressive start but blundering finish the past two seasons, can the ESU faithful expect déjà vu or something to root for?

Head Coach Garrin Higgins is thrilled for his players to show what they can do and how they can perform.

“I think the players have had a great pre-season camp and I know they are excited about going out and performing in front of the home crowd on Thursday night,” Higgins said.

Andre SloanEl, senior communications major, entered the season as the Hornets’ leading rusher, scorer and passer just a year ago. SloanEl rushed for an impressive 439 yards and six touchdowns as a quarterback and he also passed for 1,416 yards and 10 touchdowns.

In order for SloanEl to utilize his dual-threat abilities, pressure will have to be taken off of him through the use of an effective ground game. SloanEl is confident in his new rushing crew.

“We have three good running backs that we can rotate in and out so I won’t have to run as much as last year,” SloanEl said.

ESU’s air game had a similar effect on defenses last season as the rushing attack. SloanEl completed just over 60 percent of his passes.

However, he threw as many interceptions as he did touchdowns. SloanEl, along with the rest of the ESU football team, is working hard to focus more and prepare more for games using film.

“I’m studying more in the film room and preparing more for my opponent,” SloanEl said. “I’m not going to second guess myself and will know where I want to go with the ball.”

Defensively, experience and skill lead the way, with seven players having experience starting at least one game last year. In addition, the Hornets return seven of their top ten tacklers.

Katrel Larkins, senior business major, looks to spearhead a solid group of linebackers, along with the rest of the determined defensive squad. Larkins led the team in tackles with 80 total, 4.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks. A humble Larkins doesn’t think about statistics the way the fans do.

“Personally, I don’t care how many tackles I have as long as we win,” Larkins said. “I just have to cut down on my missed tackles because I had a lot last year too.”

The Hornets will face off against the Bulldogs at 7 p.m., tonight at Welch Stadium. The team encourages all fans, students and community members alike, to come out and cheer on the home team.

Austin Wagoner/The Bulletin

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Catcher Mike Sharp hits a single against Missouri Western Sunday afternoon on Glennen Field at Trusler Sports Complex. ESU split the double header losing 2-9 in the first game and winning 9-5 in the second. The Hornets will face the Griffons at home in a double header at 1 p.m. today./PHOTO BY KELLEN JENKINS

The Emporia State baseball team went 1-1 in a double-header Sunday in a series against Missouri Western University.

ESU lost the first game 9-2 and won the second game 9-5.

“The first game was not a good game and we had to get over it and move on and I thought we did a good job in the second game of doing that,” said Head Coach Bob Fornelli.

According to Fornelli, strong and cold wind played a large factor in both teams’ performances.

“We had to get them to hit the ball to the right field and stay on top of it,” Fornelli said. “That is what they did a good job of in the first game by hitting it over the right field wall and we kept flying out or striking out.”

Senior outfielder Conner Crumbliss said the wind affected the team because of the way they hit.

“It usually blows out to the left and we usually take advantage of it when it does because it is a lot easier to hit,” Crumbliss said. “But when it blows out right it is hard because we have a lot of right handed hitters.”

According to junior outfielder Jeremy Francis, the weather conditions made it hard for both teams to make plays in the outfield.

“It is not an excuse but it was the wind,” Francis said. “The wind is hard to judge when the ball is in the air but they played in the same conditions we did and they made the catches.”

Playing in bad weather was also mentally demanding.

“No one really wanted to physically be here but at the same time you have to show up,” Francis said. “Of course this would be a different game if we had good weather but at same time you have to face that and play through it.”

In the second game, Francis hit a drive to right field which allowed all three runners to score and put the Hornets in the lead at the bottom of the 5^th inning.

“It was a weird swing,” Francis said. “I check swung and it just went of the bat and the ball hoped over his glove and coach kept swinging me so I just took off as fast as I could.”

Crumbliss said the run created a momentum change for the Hornets.

“That was huge because we finally got the lead,” Crumbliss said. “We had been getting beat all day and it was nice to finally get ahead.”

The Hornets would maintain the lead for the rest of the game, holding the Griffons to five runs.

“Coach got onto us between games to try and get the ball on the ground a little better,” Crumbliss said. “Because we were hitting a lot of fly balls so we just had to focus more. We just have to show up and play hard. If we play hard we should not lose to anybody.”

The Hornets will play NWMU today in another double-header to finish the series.

“We have a huge week,” Fornelli said. “In the next six days we have eight more games. We have got to continue to play hard, continue to do the little things and continue to find a way to win.”

Both teams will continue play tomorrow at 1 p.m. from Glennen Field in Emporia, Kan.

Doug Irby/The Bulletin

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