By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The Fort Hays State baseball team came up short against No. 15 Central Oklahoma in the series finale Sunday (March 8), falling 7-2. The Tigers (11-11, 1-5 MIAA) collected nine base hits on the day, but were 2-for-13 with runners on base. The Bronchos (16-3, 5-1 MIAA) rattled off 13 hits in the win.
Making his first start of the season, Jacob Douglas worked around a walk and a single in the first inning by striking out the side. The Tigers then took their first lead of the weekend in the home half of the first with a pair of two-out base hits. Corbin Truslow doubled into right to keep the inning alive before coming around to score on a single to left center from Grant Schmidt.
Schmidt drove in both Tiger runs with a leadoff solo home run down the left-field line in the eighth, capping off a 4-for-4 day at the plate for the junior.
Central Oklahoma quickly responded with a three-run home run in the second before Douglas settled down to retire six-straight batters. The Bronchos manufactured another run in the fifth before pushing across three insurance runs over the final two frames.
After going down in order in the second and third, the Tigers had runners on base in each of the next five innings, but could only manage one run on Schmidt’s fifth home run of the season.
Douglas (1-2) took the loss after surrendering four runs over five innings, allowing eight hits while striking out six batters. Jacob Ensz came on for the fourth consecutive game, striking out three and giving up just one hit over two scoreless innings of work. Jake Steinbring was next out of the pen, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits over 1.2 innings of work. Ryan Brown got the final out for the Tigers, throwing one pitch before Garrett Stephens gunned down a would-be base stealer at second.
The Tigers continue a six game home swing next weekend (March 13-15) when they host second-ranked Central Missouri in another MIAA series. First pitch on Friday is set for 4 p.m. from Larks Park.