Emporia State baseball closed out the regular season in style, sweeping Northeastern State with a thrilling 2-1 victory on Saturday. The Hornets improved to 36-16 overall and 23-15 in MIAA play, heading into the postseason with serious momentum.

The game remained scoreless through seven innings, a testament to the stellar pitching on both sides. Northeastern State broke the deadlock in the eighth when Chance Pair singled to right-center, driving in a run to give the Riverhawks a 1-0 lead.

But the Hornets answered back immediately. With runners on first and second, Noah Steele ripped a single to right field, allowing Logan Myers to score and tie the game at 1-1. The very next batter, Brady Unrein, laid down a perfectly executed bunt that brought Sammy Padilla sliding home for the go-ahead run. In the blink of an eye, Emporia State had turned a deficit into a 2-1 lead.

"They're both great kids, they work hard every single day," said head coach John Martin of Steele and Unrein. "You want those guys up when it matters. The guys in front of them were able to get on base, and those guys executed really well."

After surrendering just one run in the eighth, relief pitcher Grant Huffman shut the door with a scoreless ninth inning to secure the sweep. The Hornet pitching staff was dominant all afternoon, allowing only four hits and one run while striking out four batters.

"We got a great start from Jake [Khasaempanth] and then everybody that came in after that did a good job," Martin added. "We were able to finish it at the end and play good defense."

Now, the No. 6 seed Hornets turn their attention to the MIAA Tournament in Edmond, Oklahoma. They'll face No. 3 Missouri Southern on May 7, with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. With a sweep under their belts and a pitching staff hitting its stride, Emporia State looks poised to make some noise in the postseason.