April 25, 2008-The #2 Hornets left 13 runners on base including seven in scoring position in a 5-3 loss at Central Missouri on Friday night. The loss snapped Emporia State’s MIAA record 35 game winning streak.

The Mules got on the board first with a single run in the first inning when Ian Dykins drove in Brian McBryde. The Hornets tied it on Nick Wolfe’s lead off homer in the top of the sixth. UCM regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh on a lead off home run by Mike Hallam.

Tyler Applehans struck out seven and gave up four hits for ESU before giving way to Daniel Waggoner to start the bottom of the eighth. After retiring the first batter he faced, the Mules got two base runners on a single and a hit batter before back to back doubles by Dykins and Chris Brown gave UCM a 5-1 lead.

The Hornets picked up two runs in the ninth when Brian Majors doubled to lead off the inning and Eric Shortell hit his league leading 18 th home run of the year to cut the lead in half. Kevin Wempe was hit by a pitch to bring Wolfe to the plate as the potential tying run with two outs. Reliever Chris Matlock then struck out Wolfe to end the game and ESU’s winning streak.

The two teams are back in action on Saturday with a double header at Crane Stadium/Thompkins Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

NOTES:

The loss was the first for ESU since March 8.

The three runs were the fewest scored by the nation’s leading scoring team since that 15-2 loss to Minn.-Duluth on March 8.

The five runs scored by UCM are the fewest scored against ESU in a loss this season.

Shortell’s 18 home runs are tied with Scott Smith (2005) for the third most in a single season at ESU.