MARYVILLE, Mo. - The Emporia State University Hornets evened the weekend series with the Northwest Missouri State University baseball team with a 13-5 defeat of the Bearcats on Saturday.

ESU moved its season mark to 8-6 overall and 1-1 in MIAA play, while the Bearcats fell to 7-6 overall and 1-1 in league play. The teams will meet Sunday at 1 p.m. in the rubber match of the three-game set. Trey Morris put the 'Cats up early in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly to bring in Cole Slibowski for a 1-0 lead. Emporia State tacked on two runs on a two-RBI double from Logan Myers to put the Hornets on top, 2-1. Kayden Williams tacked on the Hornet lead with a single to center to bring another run. ESU led 3-1 through three innings played.  Northwest battled back in the fifth, starting with another sacrifice fly, this time from Caden Diel. Morris reached on an error by the Hornet shortstop, bringing in Noah Bodenhausen to level the game at 3-3. ESU tallied a single run in the sixth and blew the game open with a seven-run seventh to take an 11-3.

Northwest answered with one run in the bottom of the seventh on a Ryan Williams RBI groundout that plated Bodenhausen to cut the ESU lead to 11-4. 

The Hornets tacked on two more in the ninth to hold a 13-4 advantage with one at bat left for the 'Cats.

Diel rifled an RBI double to knock in Bodenhausen to complete the scoring in the ninth. Casey Stalzer endured the loss as he pitched into the sixth inning. Stalzer allowed five hits and four runs (two earned). He struck out a career-high nine batters. Stalzer had struck out eight in each of his three previous starts this season.

NOTES: Bodenhausen scored three runs and went 2-for-4 at the plate ... Diel went 2-for-3 with two RBI ... Slibowski tallied a two-hit day in the leadoff spot.