Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Emporia, Kan. - The Southwest Baptist University baseball team used a game-winning homerun from Jake Vore to pick up a 5-4 game one victory before dropping game two 12-6 to earn a split at Emporia State on Saturday. After the day, SBU now stands at 10-14 (7-11 MIAA) on the season.

In game one, Emporia State used an SBU error to plate four unearned runs to take a 4-0 lead through the first two innings of action. Starting in the third, SBU began to slowly chip away at the ESU lead. Caleb Sneed led the top of the third off with a double to left center, followed by an rbi double by Trevor Bowling to put SBU on the scoreboard trailing 4-1. In the fourth Spencer Blacksher led the inning off with a walk, and an infield single and stolen base by Zach Snodgrass put runners on second and third for Caleb Sneed. Sneed then singled to right field, scoring both runners, as SBU pulled themselves within one at 4-3. The Bearcats continued to push, tying the game up in the top of the fifth when Blacksher hit an rbi single to score Ross Wolfe and tie the game up at 4-4. The Bearcats and Hornets remained scoreless over the next two innings, forcing the game to extra innings, where Jake Vore hit a leadoff homerun to put SBU up 5-4. SBU starter Michael Proiette threw a strong 7.2 innings, collecting 8 strikeouts while allowing no earned runs, and Sam Vergara came in for the final out of the contest to pick up his fourth save of the season.

In game two ESU put the up the first ten runs of the game as the Bearcats fell behind 10-0 after three innings of play. SBU got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth when Zach Pirrello hit a two-run homerun as the Bearcats trailed the Hornets 10-2. After ESU added two more runs over the next two innings, SBU started to string together hits to put runs on the scoreboard. In the sixth, Zach Snodgrass led the inning off with a single, and two batters later Tim Gurnow also singled to put runners on the corners with two outs. Christian Binger then hit an rbi single, followed by a Ross Wolfe walk and an rbi single from Spencer Blacksher as the Bearcats trailed 12-4 after six innings of play. SBU added two more runs in the seventh, one off of a Pirrello sacrifice fly and another off of a bases loaded walk by Ross Wolfe, but it wasn't enough as SBU fell 12-6 in game two.

The Bearcats will wrap-up their four-game series against Emporia State on Sunday, March 29. Opening pitch of game one is set to begin at 12:00 p.m. from Emporia, Kansas.