Image courtesy of Derek Livingston
Alyssa Tyler editor in chief
The Pittsburg State Baseball team started Spring Break with a weekend series against the Rogers State University Hillcats on Mar. 9.
The first game of the weekend began with Junior right-handed pitcher Tanner Leslie throwing a complete game, having no walks, four strikeouts. All while allowing four hits while the Gorilla offense took home 12 runs for 12-0 run rule victory.
Senior catcher Nixon Brannan and senior infielder Cade Clemons hit solo home runs. Junior infielder Austin Warkins had a pair of runs. Graduate infielder Dylan Kurahashi-Choy Foo had five RBI and ended the first game of the weekend 1-for-3 with a triple. Warkins also had a pair of runs.
Starting Mar. 10 senior infielder Daegan Brady scored a run thanks to a throwing error in the top of the ninth to give Pitt State the 3-2 win for the weekend. Junior righthanded pitcher Boston Dowd allowed only one hit for 4.0 innings of relief work. Graduate student right-handed pitcher Alex Kafka gave up two runs in 4 innings.
Junior outfielder Karson Coffee and Brannan each had a run, while Kurahashi-Choy Foo had three hits by the end of the game. This game marked its 950th victory against the Hillcats, with an overall 950-876 record through 45 seasons of intercollegiate play.
Wrapping up their weekend in Oklahoma the Gorillas beat Rogers State 11-0 in seven innings on Mar. 11.
Junior infielder Hayden Dyer went 2-for-3 and scored three runs. Senior outfielder Jake Grauberger had a homerun and took in three runs. All while Clemons went 2-for-4 with a home run and 6 RBI.
Cadyn Castellanos improved to 3-1 by throwing 4.0 innings of relief post Brady Pacha.
Pitt State improved to 16-5 overall with an 8-2 MIAA record and Rogers State dropped to 13-7 with a 5-4 MIAA record.
The team then travelled to Emporia KANS., to take on the Emporia State Hornets. The Gorillas hit four runs in the first inning and then four more in the third to create an 8-0 lead. The Hornets struck back with four runs in half of the third then three more runs in the fourth.
Askew took home his second save of the season by fanning the ESU Logan Myers with all bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. GRADE POSIITON Brett Wiemers had a win through limiting the Hornets to three hits and four strikeouts in 3.1 innings of relief work. Brannan scored three times and had four runs. Both Warkins and Clemons hit home runs as well. The Gorillas came home with a 12-10 victory.
The Missouri Southern State University Lions made the short trip to Pittsburg on Mar. 15 for a MIAA series opener. The Lions took home a 6-1 win against the Gorillas as their eighth straight win.
Leslie had his first loss of the season, while Chase Terrell, Parker Weddle, Ryker Curry, and Zach Curry worked together to pitch 5.1 innings of a two-hit relief to hold the Missouri Southern Lions at bay.
The Gorillas even the score on Saturday, ending the second game of the series with a 5-4 score. The Lions began the game with a 4-3 lead. Castellanos allowed only one hit in 3.0 innings of relief work, earning his fourth win of the season. Kafka threw 5.0 innings, giving up four runs on six hits. Askew earned his third save of the season with a scoreless ninth.
Kurahashi-Choy Foo and Warkins both had first inning home runs, creating a 3-0 lead early on. With the win the Gorillas ended the Lion’s eight game winning streak.
Moving to the last game of the weekend series, the Gorillas were not able to pull it in as the Lions took home the weekend win. MSSU’s Cale McCallister threw 8.0 innings, helping the Lions end the game with a 3-1 victory.
The one run came from Warkins RBI double in the bottom of the fourth.
With school back in session the baseball team travelled to Oklahoma Baptist University on Mar. 19. The Bison (16-11) came out of the game victorious with a score of 12-9. OBU hit four runs int he second inning, creating a 7-2 lead. The Gorillas, now 18-8, were only able to get to 9-8 by the top of the eighth inning. Clemons had a home run and drove in three runs while Kurahashi-Choy Foo and Craft had two RBI respectively.
The Gorillas are 18-8 overall and 9-4 in conference play. They will host Central Oklahoma University on Mar. 22.