By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The Fort Hays State baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader against Pittsburg State on Saturday (Feb. 27), falling 9-1 in the opener before coming up shot in a 6-0 loss in the nightcap.
The Tigers and Gorillas will wrap up the conference series Sunday with a single game beginning at noon.
Game 1 – Pittsburg State 9, Fort Hays State 1
FHSU’s Zach Berg and PSU’s David Henderson were locked in a pitcher’s dual for much of the opener, with each pitcher allowing just one run over six innings. Neither side scored until the fifth when Jaxson Webb sent a 3-2 pitch sailing over the left-field fence.
The Gorillas answered right back, manufacturing a run in the top of the sixth. Berg escaped the inning without further damage after recording his sixth strikeout.
Pittsburg State took the lead in the next half inning before tacking on five unearned runs in the eighth. Fort Hays State had a chance to match PSU’s run in the seventh, loading the bases with one out. But Gorilla reliever Justin Root escaped the jam with a line out and a ground out.
Webb collected three of FHSU’s six hits in game one, finishing 3-for-4. Drake Angeron collected two bunt singles, while Grant Schmidt recorded the only other hit for the Tigers.
Berg finished the game with a line of 6.0 innings, three hits, one run, three walks and six strikeouts. Jacob Ensz (0-1) took the loss after allowing four runs (one earned) over one inning of work.
Game 2 – Pittsburg State 6, Fort Hays State 0
Pittsburg State got a quick start in game two, plating five runs (three earned) on three Tiger errors in the first inning. The Tigers never responded, failing to advance a runner past second all evening.
Drake Angeron tallied three of the five Tiger hits in game two while stealing one base. Corbin Truslow and Grant Schmidt also singled for the Tigers.
Hunter Parker (0-1) took the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits over 1.1 innings of work.
Ryan Ruder tossed 5.1 innings of solid relief for the Tigers, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out three Gorillas. Jacob Douglas recorded 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, striking out one.