Baseball Falls in High-Scoring Affair with NWOSU

FHSU Sports Information Department

ALVA, Okla. – The Fort Hays State baseball team came away on the wrong end of a shootout with Northwestern Oklahoma State Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 28) inside Myers Stadium, 17-6. The teams combined for 30 hits, 10 extra-base hits, and three home runs.

The loss moves the Tigers to 6-8 on the season as they remain winless away from Larks Park (0-7). The Rangers improve to 5-11 overall, ending a three-game skid. The win gives NWOSU the season series victory over Fort Hays State, improving to 3-0 against the Tigers in 2017. The teams will meet once more this year, this time in Hays on March 22.

The Tigers were playing from behind all afternoon after Pat Delano crushed a three-run shot over the fence in left in the bottom of the first. The Rangers scored in bunches all afternoon, putting up four runs in the second, six in the fifth and three more in the seventh inning.

Fort Hays State had baserunners in all but one inning, stranding 14 on base for the afternoon. The Tigers went without a run in the first after loading the bases with no outs before leaving a runner on third in the second. The Tigers finally got on the board in the third when Nick Hammeke lifted a one-out double to left center. Jake Lanferman reached on an error, bringing Dayton Pomeroy to the dish. The junior demolished a no-doubter over the fence to close the gap to 7-3. Clayton Basgall followed with a triple over the center fielder’s head before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Cody Starkel. The Tigers hit for the cycle as a team in the inning after Jared Bogosian singled to left later in the frame.

The Tigers added a run in the fifth on a pair of errors by the Rangers. Ryan Imber reached on a fielding error by the third baseman before Ty Redington sent a routine grounder to the pitcher. The Ranger hurler chucked the ball down the right field line, allowing Imber to score from first.

The visitors picked up two more runs with a two-out rally in the seventh. Imber singled before Redington drew a walk. Hammeke picked up his fourth hit of the afternoon to knock in Imber before Lanferman came through with his third single, scoring Redington.

Hammeke finished the day with a career-high four hits, including two doubles, one run, and one RBI. Lanferman finished 3-for-5 with a run and a RBI while Pomeroy was 2-for-5 with one run and three driven in. In total eight of the nine Tigers to start the game picked up at least one hit, while all nine reached base.

Alex Ruxlow (1-2) took the loss, giving up seven runs on seven hits in 1.2 innings. Easton Palmer came on and retired eight-straight batters before the Ranger offense figured him out the second time through the lineup, ultimately surrendering five runs on four hits with three strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work. Cole Schumacher did not give up a run in 1.1 innings of work, allowing two hits while striking out one.

The Tigers will head back to the Sooner State this weekend (March 3-5) to face off with Central Oklahoma in a three-game MIAA series. First pitch in Friday’s contest is set for 2 p.m. in Edmond.

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