FHSU Sports Information Department
HAYS, Kan. – Three home runs, heads-up baserunning and a strong start from Alex Ruxlow helped the Fort Hays State baseball team knock off Washburn Wednesday afternoon (April 5) at Larks Park, 9-8. The win, FHSU’s second-straight win in Hays, ended a four-game losing skid.
The Tigers improved to 9-22 overall and 2-16 in the league with the win, while the Ichabods dip to 19-13 this season and 11-10 in the MIAA.
Fort Hays State jumped on top in the bottom of the second inning when Cody Starkel sprinted home on a wild pitch.
The redshirt-freshman doubled the Tiger lead in the fourth with a solo home run to left, his first collegiate home run. FHSU continued to pour it on in the inning when Jace Bowman and Bryce Witchurch followed with singles. Ty Redington knocked in a run with a double two batters later, crushing a ball to left center. Jake Lanferman then lifted a sacrifice fly to right, plating Witchurch. Nick Hammeke put the Tigers up 5-0 with a RBI single through the left side, scoring Redington.
Starkel’s day wasn’t done – the DH made it a six-run lead with another bomb over the left field fence in the home half of the fifth inning.
After he worked around baserunners all afternoon, the Ichabods finally tagged Ruxlow for a run in the sixth on a solo home run. Later in the inning, the junior worked around a single with a double-play ball and a strikeout. Ruxlow (4-6) gave up just the one run on four hits across six innings pitched, striking out one WU batter. The Tiger bullpen gave up seven runs over the final three frames, but the offense put together just enough to carry them to victory.
After WU made it 6-1 in the sixth, the Tigers got the run right back in the home half when Trevor Hughes led off with a pinch-hit, no-doubt home run to right.
Fort Hays State added two more runs in the seventh after Starkel led off with a single through the hole at short. Bowman then worked a walk before the duo moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Witchurch. Next up was Hughes, who sent a grounder to second with the infield playing in. Starkel took off on contact, forcing a throw from the Ichabod defender. The catcher was unable to handle the throw in the dirt, allowing Starkel to slide in safely for his fourth run of the day. The ball then caromed out in front of the plate, but the catcher was unable to locate the ball. Bowman recognized this very quickly, rounding third at full speed and coming in to score the eventual winning run.
The Ichabods made things interesting with three runs on two long balls in the ninth. However, Clayton Basgall fought through the teeth of the WU lineup while clinging to a one-run lead to secure the victory, inducing two ground balls and a soft pop up to end the game.
The Tigers did not commit an error in the game while clubbing 13 hits at the plate. Starkel led the team with a 3-for-4 effort, scoring four runs for the Black and Gold. The top of the order was on base more often than not, with Redington, Lanferman, and Hammeke all recording two hits to go along with one RBI.
A string of four games in five days at Larks Park continues this weekend when Lindenwood comes to town for a three-game series. Things get underway in game one at 6 p.m. Friday (April 7).