EMPORIA, Kan. – Adam Richter (Breese, IL/Mater Dei) finished up a solid weekend at the plate by driving in the game-winning run in the top of the 11^th inning Sunday, giving Missouri S&T its first win of the season as it beat Emporia State 7-6 in the final game of a three-game series.

Richter, who went five-of-12 with eight runs batted in during the season-opening series, delivered an opposite field single in the 11^th to score Eli Miller (Shelbyville, IL/Shelbyville) with the go-ahead run and Luke Marcheschi (Bloomington, IL/Central Catholic) pitched out of a two-on, two-out situation in the bottom half to preserve the victory.

For the third consecutive day, the Miners took the lead in their first at-bat as they strung together a three-run inning.  It began with Miller's infield single, a walk to Justus Nelson (Plymouth, MN/Robbinsdale Armstrong) and a single off the bat of Lucas Swindle (Weldon Spring, MO/Lutheran-St. Charles) to load the bases.

Zach Bracken (Berthoud, CO/Berthoud) and Richter followed that with back-to-back RBI singles to give S&T a 2-0 lead before the Hornets recorded the first out of the inning.  The Miners got a third run with two outs on another infield hit off the bat of Cameron Burk (Nacogdoches, TX/Cushing) that scored Swindle.

Emporia State got a run back in the second on a solo home run by Tate Kastens, then scored three times off S&T starter Anthony Garza (Belleviille, IL/Belleville East) in the third to take the lead, the big blow being a two-run homer by BJ Dean.

S&T tied the contest in the fifth when Swindle led off with a hit and scored on a two-out, opposite field double by Matt Reschke (Darien, IL/Hinsdale South), but the Hornets regained the advantage in the sixth on a Kastens sacrifice fly.

In the eighth, S&T tied it back up on a pinch-hit home run by Matt Knickerbocker (Bayfield, CO/Bayfield), then scored in the top of the ninth off Seth Holman to take the lead back.

Nelson led off the inning with a hit and after being sacrificed to second, came home to score on a hit by Bracken.

However, in the bottom of the ninth, Levi Ashmore drew a leadoff walk and pinch-runner David Oropeza ended up a third following a stolen base and a wild pitch.  Tucker Perkins followed with a run-scoring hit off Bryan Nolan (Ballwin, MO/St. Louis University HS) to knot the contest at six.

After a pitching change, the Miners cut down the winning run at the plate when Daniel LaMunyon tried to score on a fielder's choice, then Dalton Erger (Imperial, MO/Seckman) retired Wade Hanna to send the contest into extra innings.

In the 11^th, Miller led off with a hit and moved along to third before Richter delivered the hit to put S&T back into the lead.  Marcheschi, who entered the game in the 10^th, pitched around a pair of Hornet hits in the bottom of the inning by getting Kastens to ground out to end it and pick up the victory in relief.

The Miners outhit the Hornets 17-14 Sunday, with Miller going five-of-six at the plate and scoring twice.  Four other Miners had two hits apiece, with Bracken and Richter driving in two runs apiece.

Garza pitched the first four innings and scattered six hits with four strikeouts in his S&T debut.  The Miners used six pitchers in the contest.

Missouri S&T will be back on the road next weekend as it will play a four-game series against St. Edward's in Austin, Texas.  The series will begin with a single game on Friday at 1:30 p.m.