EMPORIA, Kan. - Emporia State had a strong day at the plate, tallying 23 hits as the Hornets defeated the Lincoln baseball team, 24-3, on Friday afternoon (March 4).

Emporia State scored five runs in both the first and second innings and led 12-0 before the Blue Tigers got on the board in the top of the fourth. Kaleb Davis reached on an error and took second on a bunt by Mike Million before stealing third. Davis later put Lincoln's first run on the board by stealing home.

Lincoln forced ESU to go down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fourth, and then retired the Hornet offense in four at-bats in the fifth to keep the score at 12-1. The Blue Tiger offense went back to work in the sixth, with Dillon Walker leading the frame off with a base hit. A base hit by Mason Price, combined with an ESU error, ended up allowing Dillon Walker to score. Price was then brought home on a single into right field by Zach Anderson.

That ended up being the end of the scoring for Lincoln, as Emporia State shut the Blue Tigers down in the seventh. The Hornets, meanwhile, plated 12 runs on nine hits and a pair of errors in the bottom of the sixth to end the game two frames early.

Davis and Nick Lovell also had hits for Lincoln while Jackson Walker stole two bases and Million and Kolton Clark each took one apiece. Davis and Jackson Walker tied for the team-high with five putouts each while Dillon Walker tallied a team-best four assists. Zach Maskill and Riley Crews each struck out two Hornet batters while Caleb Thomas fanned one.

The Blue Tigers will be back in Emporia, Kan. on Saturday (March 5) for a 1:00 p.m. CST contest against Emporia State.