By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
LIBERTY, Mo. – The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped its final non-conference game of the season Tuesday afternoon (April 23), losing 10-4. The Tigers (24-22) led 1-0 after one inning and 3-2 after two frames, but the Cardinals (25-17) scored the final six runs of the day to take the win, avenging an 11-8 loss to FHSU last week at Larks Park.
The Tigers jumped out to a quick start when Cesar Saavedra and Isaiah Ural led off with back-to-back singles. The pair executed a double steal before Brady Kreutzer lifted a sacrifice fly to center, plating the first run of the game. Elliott Herrmann then worked a walk to put runners on the corners, but the Cardinals got out of the jam with a strikeout and a flyout.
The Cardinals responded with two runs in the bottom of the first, but FHSU punched right back with two more runs in the top of the second. Sebastian Burgos worked a leadoff walk before Luis Ayala pulled a double into the left-field corner. Ural followed with a two-out double of his own, plating a pair to put the Tigers back in front, 3-2.
Two walks and two hits allowed Jewell to regain the lead in the bottom of the inning, 4-3, before both teams left men on base in a scoreless third inning. Fort Hays State tied things up in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Ural. The Tigers later loaded the bases with one out, but were unable to regain the lead after the Cardinals escaped the inning with a strikeout and flyout.
Three hits, one walk and one beaned batter allowed the Cardinals to respond in the bottom of the inning, regaining a 6-4 lead. The Jewell bullpen then took control, retiring 12 consecutive batters to help maintain the lead. Zane Knox eventually broke through with a single in the eighth, but the Tigers were unable to push across another run in the contest. Jewell tacked on four insurance runs in the sixth before Tanner Vaughn and Shaun Gomez both worked 1-2-3 innings in the seventh and eighth, respectively.
Saavedra and Ural each had two hits, with Knox and Ayala contributing the only other base knocks for the Tigers. Ural drove in three of the four runs, with Ayala scoring twice. Will Isaly got the start, allowing three runs while striking out one across 1+ inning of work. DJ Cavasos took the loss, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out three over 3.1 innings of relief. Brandon Chavez struck out a pair in 1.2 innings of relief while allowing four runs on four hits.
The Tigers will wrap up the regular season this weekend (April 26-28) with a three-game series at Pittsburg State. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. on Friday, 1 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday.