By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
After fighting all the way back from 4-0 down to take a 7-5 lead, the Fort Hays State baseball team fell in 11 innings Sunday (March 6) against Emporia State, 8-7. The Tigers were outhit 14-7 on the day, but home runs from Grant Schmidt, Conner Kessler and Mason Holton kept them in it until the bitter end.
Emporia State jumped in front with four runs on four hits in the top of the first before Tiger starter Jake Campbell settled in, tossing five scoreless innings after that. The sophomore scattered five hits over those other five innings, allowing four runs on nine total hits while striking out four and walking one in 6.0 innings of work.
Fort Hays State had runners on base in all but the 10th inning, but the Tigers struggled to push runs across early. Kessler put the first run on the board with a solo home run to left in the fifth, his first home run of the season. Schmidt made it a two-run game with a moon shot that just scraped over the wall in straightaway center, pulling the Tigers within 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth. The Tigers then tied things up on an opposite-field home run from Mason Holton in the bottom of the seventh. The freshman crushed a 1-2 pitch over the wall in right, tying things up at 4-4 after driving in Conner Kessler.
Emporia State grabbed the lead right back with a run in the eighth before Fort Hays State scored three to take its first lead of the game. Jenner Kehe led off with a walk before moving up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt from Ed Scott. Kehe took third on a wild pitch before sliding in safely on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Schmidt. Kade Wallace and Jaxson Webb followed with consecutive two-out walks, leaving the door open for Mikey Felton. The designated hitter came through with a single to center, driving in one run before the Hornet defender misplayed the ball, allowing Webb to score from first.
The Hornets forced extra innings with two solo home runs in the ninth, including one when they were down to their final out. Kehe gave the Tigers a chance with a two-out hit in the ninth, but the Hornet staff sent it to extras with a strikeout.
Both sides went down in order in the 10th before Emporia State scored a run on bases loaded sacrifice fly in the 11th. Felton worked a walk to put the tying run on base in the home half of the 11th before the Hornets finished off the win with a fly out, a pop out and a strike out.
Cole Zimmerman tossed one scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts, while Dylan Hamilton gave up one run on two hits in 1.0 inning of work. Jacob Ensz (0-3) took the loss after giving up three runs on two hits and three walks in 2.0 innings of relief. Jacob Douglas finished things off, striking out one and issuing an intentional walk in one frame.
Kessler had two of the seven hits for the Tigers, while Schmidt and Holton each drove in a pair of runs.
The Tigers will be on the road next weekend to face off with Rogers State in another conference series. Action from Claremore, Okla. starts Friday (March 11) beginning at 2 p.m.
Saturday
The Fort Hays State baseball team jumped in front of Emporia State early before the Hornets pulled away down the stretch for a 13-2 win on Saturday (March 5), leveling the series at one win each. The Tigers and Hornets will meet up in the rubber match of the series Sunday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m.
The Hornets scored first with a two-out rally in the top of the first before FHSU quickly struck back in the home half of the inning. Jenner Kehe reached base on an error before Ed Scott and Grant Schmidt hit back-to-back doubles, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Scott doubled off the base of the wall in center, putting two in scoring position for the senior left fielder. Schmidt followed with a double of his own to left center, driving in a pair of runs in the process.
Tiger starter Hunter Parker worked out of a jam in the second, leaving the bases loaded with a strikeout, before Emporia State regained the lead with three runs in the third. The Hornets scored one more off Parker in the fourth before scoring eight runs in four innings off the Tiger bullpen.
The Tigers had runners on base in six of the eight innings, but FHSU was unable to manufacture a run after the opening inning. Scott and Schmidt each had two hits, as did third baseman Mason Holton, with those three Tigers accounting for all six FHSU base knocks.
Parker (0-2) struck out eight batters over 4.0 innings of work, tied for the most by a Tiger this season. He gave up five runs, just three of which were earned, on seven hits and four walks. Tanner Lukowski (1.1 IP, 3 ER), Espen Donaldson (1.1 IP, 3 ER) and Dustin Menard (1.1 IP, 2 ER) all added one strikeout, giving the Tiger staff a season-high 11 strikeouts.
ESU’s Jarrett Seaton (2-1) struck out nine batters over 6.0 innings of work, allowing just one unearned run on five hits.
Friday
Solid pitching performances from Sammy
Sanchez and Zach
Berg and timely hits from Kade
Wallace and Jenner
Kehe helped the Fort Hays State baseball team defeat Emporia
State in the first of a three-game series Friday (March 4), 2-0. It was the
first shutout victory for the Tigers since February 2020 (2/21/20 vs
CSU-Pueblo, 1-0 in 10 inn.).
Sanchez (2-1) worked with runners on base much of the afternoon, retiring the
side in order only once. But he had no problem getting out of jams, with ESU
leaving a total of 11 runners on base, including six in scoring position. The
junior collected seven strikeouts after recording eight strikeouts in his last
outing, bringing his team-leading total up to 29 this season.
Ed
Scott singled and stole second in the home half of the first,
but Emporia State starter Aaron Bechtel worked out of the jam with a strikeout
and a fly out. After eight-straight Tigers were retired, Scott had the Tigers
back in business with a leadoff single in the fourth. The center fielder moved
to third on a pair of ground balls before coming in to score on a two-out,
RBI-single from Wallace. The senior first baseman sent a 2-1 pitch through the
right side, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
After Sanchez’ only one-two-three inning of the game in the top of the fifth,
Fort Hays State doubled the lead with a manufactured run in the home half. Jaxson
Webb led off with a solid line drive to left center, bringing
up Griffin
Brunson. The shortstop squared around to bunt four times, but
pulled the bat back each time, ultimately striking out. The Tigers opted for
the sac bunt again with Mason
Holton at the plate, with the freshman third baseman
successfully advancing the runner. Now with two outs, Kehe swung at the first
pitch and sent it rolling into right field. Webb sprinted around third, forcing
a throw to the plate. The ball came in off line, allowing Webb to easily score.
Bechtel regained control after that, retiring the last 10 hitters of the game
for the Tigers. Emporia State led off with a single in the sixth before the
Tiger defense turned its league-leading 11th double play of the year. The
Hornets picked up their first and only extra-base hit in the seventh on a
double into the right field corner, but Sanchez got back-to-back ground outs to
get out of the inning unscathed.
Berg (1) came on in the eighth, giving up a leadoff hit before three
consecutive outs got the Tigers out of the inning. The Hornets managed to get
the tying run on base in the ninth after a single and a walk, but the junior
pitcher got the final three outs on fly balls to right, center and left field.
Sanchez did not walk a batter, allowing eight hits and one hit by pitch over
7.0 innings of work. Berg surrendered just two hits and one walk while striking
out one batter in his 2.0 innings of work, picking up his first save as a
Tiger.
Bechtel (1-4) took the loss after striking out eight while throwing a complete
game. He gave up five hits and zero walks over 8.0 innings of work.