FHSU Sports Information Department
HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State baseball team was unable to overcome a rocky start Sunday afternoon (Feb. 19) against Colorado Christian, dropping the series finale 12-7. The Cougars batted around in the top of the first, plating seven runs to take the lead for good.
The loss ends a six-game winning streak for the Tigers, moving them to 6-4 on the season. The Cougars improve to 4-7 this season. It was the first win for the Cougars all-time against FHSU (Tigers lead series 7-1).
The Tiger offense strung together 14 hits in the loss, with nine different batters collecting at least one hit. But once the Cougars went to their bullpen, FHSU was unable to manufacture another run.
CCU sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning to take a commanding 7-0 lead. The Tigers got one run back after Ty Redington scored on a sacrifice fly from Nick Hammeke, but the Cougars replied with another run in the second to make the score 8-1.
The Tigers put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the second, scoring three runs. Jason Nicholson singled through the hole at short before Marcus Altman followed with his first career hit. Ryan Imber kept things going with a sharp grounder just out of reach of the Cougar second baseman, plating Nicholson. Redington swatted a fourth-consecutive single for the Tigers to score two more runs.
After Austin Weiser posted the first scoreless inning of the day for the Tigers, FHSU appeared poised to tie things up in the bottom of the third. Jake Lanferman reached on catcher’s interference before Trevor Hughes went deep for the fourth time this season, narrowing the gap to 8-6. Singles from Dayton Pomeroy and Clayton Basgall and a walk to Altman loaded the bases for Imber with one out. After Pomeroy scored and the other two runners advanced on a wild pitch, Imber lifted a potential game-tying sacrifice fly to right center. However, the Cougars appealed that the runner at second left early and the umpires upheld the appeal, disallowing the tying run.
Colorado Christian added one insurance run in the fourth and eighth innings and two more in the ninth to pad the lead to 12-7. The Tigers had their chances, advancing runners into scoring position in three different innings, but were unable to capitalize.
Justin Hersch (0-1) took the loss after failing to get out of the first inning. Weiser came on to give up three runs (two earned) on six hits in 3.2 innings before Sam Capps struck out five batters and gave up just three hits in 2.1 innings of work.
The Tigers will hit the road to open MIAA play next weekend (Feb. 24-26) against third-ranked Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo. The three-game set will begin with a 2 p.m. first pitch Friday afternoon at Crane Stadium.