PITTSBURG – The Pitt State baseball team lost the first game of a three-game series with Emporia State, 13-3, on Friday (Feb. 26) at Al Ortolani Field.

Emporia State scored 13 runs on 18 hits and four Pitt State errors, while the Gorillas managed three runs on nine hits and one Emporia State error. 

Designated hitter Jake Durossette led the Gorillas with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, including one run and one RBI. Sam Falcon, Brett Macary, Jacob Boylan, Andrew Vogelbaugh, Jack Mercer and Cooper Carlin each added a hit a piece.

Pitt State scored first in the bottom of the third. Durossette led off the inning with a base hit up the middle. Boylan ripped a two-out base hit to left to move Durossette to third. Vogelbaugh added an RBI base hit to bring Durossettee home, followed by another two-out RBI single by Mercer to score Boylan for the 2-0 lead. 

The lead was short lived though as three hits and an error allowed Emporia State to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth.

The top of the fifth saw another run come in on a hit and two Pitt State errors, giving Emporia State the 3-2  lead.

Emporia State added three runs in each the sixth and seventh innings to take a 9-2 lead before Pitt State would score again. 

In the bottom of the seventh Karlin led off the inning with a triple to right center. He scored on a Durossette base hit for the final Pitt STate run of the game.

The Hornets tacked on four more runs on four hits, including a three-run home run for BJ Dean in the top of the ninth.

Pitt State starter George Brandecker went five innings in the loss to move to 2-1 on the season. He struck out nine batters and walked two, while giving up three runs on six hits. None of the runs he gave up were earned. Brandon Martinkus and Dylan Donley each threw an inning and each gave up three runs. Matt Standlee pitched the final two innings.

Emporia State's Tyler Stubblefield improved to 3-1 with the win. He gave up all three runs to the Gorillas. He struck out seven batters and walked two.

The two teams will take the field again on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.