FHSU Sports Information Department
BOLIVAR, Mo. – Fueled by an 8-run sixth inning, Southwest Baptist knocked off the Fort Hays State baseball team in Thursday’s (March 9) series opener, 16-8. A pair of lightning delays slowed the game, but that didn’t slow either offense – the teams combined for 34 hits on the day.
The Tigers fall to 7-11 this season and 1-6 in MIAA play while the Bearcats are now 11-6 overall and 2-5 in the league.
Ty Redington opened the offensive outburst with a solo home run down the left-field line to lead off the game, putting FHSU in front 1-0 one batter into the game. Nick Hammeke and Jake Lanferman drew walks in the next two at-bats but were left on after Brian Womack worked out of the jam.
The Tiger lead didn’t last long, with the Bearcats plating a pair in the bottom of the first on three singles. The home team added three runs in the second inning, two in the third, one in the fourth and a whopping eight-run barrage in the sixth inning.
Hammeke crushed a solo shot to left-center to lead things off in the third inning, closing the gap to 5-2. Fort Hays State put another run on the board when Lanferman reached on a one-out single in the fifth. The sophomore came around to score on a Clayton Basgall single two batters later, moving the Tigers within 8-3.
After play was stopped due to weather in the middle of the fifth inning, reliever Ryan Ruder held the Bearcats scoreless in an inning for the first time by putting them down in order. The lightning delay sparked the Tiger bats, fueling a four-run top of the sixth. Jared Bogosian drew a walk before Redington, Hammeke, Lanferman, and Dayton Pomeroy combined to club four-straight doubles to help the Tigers close within one run, 8-7.
Trevor Hughes knocked in the final Tiger run with a bases-loaded single in the top of the eighth, scoring Hammeke.
Redington finished the day 3-for-6 with a pair of runs and two RBI. Pomeroy also recorded three hits, driving in one run. Hammeke, Lanferman, Basgall and Hughes all picked up two hits each.
Ben Ramberg (0-4) took the loss after giving up eight runs on nine hits over 3.1 innings of work. Austin Liverant was able to tame the Bearcats in relief, holding the home team scoreless through 2.1 innings on the mound, giving up two hits.
The teams will wrap up the series with a doubleheader Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.